Media Releases
Doorstop - Kirribilli House
15 March 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Australia and New Zealand are not just allies, we’re not just partners, we are family. As family members with our New Zealand cousins, today we grieve, we are shocked, we are appalled, we are outraged and we stand here and condemn absolutely the attack that occurred today by an extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist that has taken the lives, stolen the lives, in a vicious, murderous attack, that has claimed so many New Zealanders.
This attack reminds us of the evil that is ever-present and would seek to strike out at any time. I particularly want to convey my heartfelt sympathies not only to all New Zealand people, as I'm sure all Australians would join me in doing, but I particularly want to express my sincere prayers and thoughts for those New Zealanders and indeed Australians of Islamic faith today, who have been the subject of this vicious and callous right-wing extremist attack.
I’m not going to go through the details of this today, because that is properly done by the New Zealand authorities. The New Zealand authorities are conducting that investigation and I have just concluded a briefing with our own authorities and agencies here. It is for New Zealand, who are obviously leading the investigation, to be able to confirm details of any individuals and certainly the number of casualties. I will leave it to them to make those announcements.
I have already been in contact with Prime Minister Ardern. She is obviously caught up in many briefings today. She described it as their darkest day and I agree with her, I agree with her absolutely. Australian authorities have already put in place all the necessary responses and precautions that are necessary here in Australia. Our agencies are working closely with New Zealand authorities and have prepared other capacities to be stood up to support New Zealand as and when requested.
I can confirm that the individual who was taken into custody, I have been advised, is an Australian-born citizen and obviously that element of the investigation Australian authorities are involved in. They will be proceeding with their investigation, which has already been stood up, involving all the relevant agencies.
We will keep Australians safe in every way possible we can. We will work with our partners in the region, our family in the region in New Zealand, to do everything we can to support them to keep their people safe as well. But right now there is a numbness. There is just a still shock that has laid upon us all, as we thought would be unthinkable in a place like Christchurch. But it has happened and it is such a sad and devastating reminder of the evil that can be ever-present around us.
Happy to take a couple of questions, but as I said, in terms of the details of the investigations they are properly addressed by the New Zealand authorities. We are obviously being kept abreast of developments in those investigations and our participation in supporting those investigations, that information is needed to help us to our part of the task. But I want to assure all Australians that the immediate responses that are required to ensure the security and safety of Australians, have already been actioned. Our authorities are working together - ASIO, the AFP, State police - to ensure that those arrangements are in place. I have also contacted the Leader of the Opposition, or contacted me actually, we almost contacted each other at the same time. He has been offered a full briefing on these matters and I’m sure as we just discussed, he would join me in the sentiments I have expressed.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister was the Australian man already known to authorities?
PRIME MINISTER: The information I have available to me at the moment is that he was not.
JOURNALIST: Does it concern you that a man who was not known to authorities is capable of something like this?
PRIME MINISTER: It concerns me that this horrific and appalling attack was capable of any human being. But sadly it is and in the quietest of places. That’s why we take the steps we do. That’s why we put in place the capacities that we have to seek to try to keep Australian safe and work with our partners and allies and family across the ditch and within the region to keep their citizens safe as well. It is a truly saddening day.
JOURNALIST: What else do we know, what else do we know about the man, what else can you divulge?
PRIME MINISTER: At this stage I’m not in a position to be able to communicate anything further about this individual, other than to say that he is an Australian-born citizen. That obviously leads to an Australian -based investigation and all of our inquiries here will be absolutely shared and communicated with New Zealand authorities.
JOURNALIST: Do you know if any Australians have been shot?
PRIME MINISTER: I have no information at the moment to suggest any Australians have been killed in this terrible attack, this terrorist attack. But it’s very early on and as is often the case with these terrible events, the first reports can often be misleading. As the night proceeds I will be receiving further updates from the AFP and ASIO and others, as to how matters are progressing. So I would just say to Australians and our New Zealand cousins, hug each other tonight. Hug each other tonight.
JOURNALIST: Is there an elevated level of risk to Australian Muslims?
PRIME MINISTER: That decision has not been taken and Australia's settings have not been altered. But I can confirm that Australian authorities and police have been working closely together at a State level and at the Commonwealth level to ensure that an inappropriate response and upgrade to ensure Australians’ safety has already been actioned.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] greater vigilance at mosques, would that be sound advice or not?
PRIME MINISTER: I think that is a responsible action. I do know that in New Zealand some very and even more specific warnings have been provided as you would expect, in New Zealand. But here, I think obviously people should act with caution, but the New South Wales police, State police around the country have all been advised and are being updated on these events and they will be taking the necessary precautions in each of those places.
But this should always be the case, Australians should always be alert, they should always be aware. These horrible and sickening events in New Zealand are just a terrible reminder of the need for that and there are people who live in our community who hold some appalling, disgusting and abhorrent views that have nothing to do with our way of life and our values. It’s important that we assist our authorities at all times to ensure that they’re best placed to be able to understand where that threat exists.
Terrorism, as we’ve seen today, can be visited upon anyone, anywhere and it is not unique to one particular world view. In this case, as I said, it was a radical, violent, right wing extremist terrorist who has done this and I am appalled and sickened.
National Day of action against bullying and violence
15 March 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Communications and the Arts, Minister for Education
A record number of Australian students will take a united stand against bullying today as part of the ninth National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.
More than 2.4 million students attending 5,726 schools across Australia will take part in the National Day of Action, compared to 1.88 million students across 4,355 schools in 2018.
All those students, teachers and principals are using today to learn about the impacts of bullying, how to stamp it out and to “start the chat” with children about preventing cyberbullying and staying safe online.
By taking part in today’s anti-bullying events Australians are sending a loud message that bullying is not OK.
Bullying and cyberbullying affect more and more of our kids and taking part in the National Day of Action sends a message to them that they are not alone and there is help available.
Around half of all students in Years 3 to 5 report some level of bullying and one in five young Australians have experienced cyberbullying.
Our Government is focused on keeping Australians safe and keeping our children safe by delivering the support and resources to combat bullies as well as educating everyone about the impact of bullying.
Today, our Government launches a national campaign across print, radio and TV to raise awareness of online safety, and to help Australian parents, carers and teachers keep children and young people safe online.
The campaign is part of the Government’s $17 million Keeping Our Children Safe Online package announced in December last year.
Anti-bullying resources can also be found at www.bullyingnoway.gov.au, www.esafety.gov.au, www.studentwellbeinghub.edu.au and www.beyou.edu.au.
Doorstop, Melbourne Markets
14 March 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Well good morning everybody, it’s great to be out here in Epping at the Melbourne Markets with Katie Allen, our Liberal candidate for Higgins and Gladys Liu our Liberal candidate for Chisolm. Much of what is bought here it’s finding it’s way back, or out of the Prahran Markets, out into the restaurants of Box Hill Gladys and indeed all around the country. This is a powerhouse of economic activity out here at the markets. I always love coming to the markets whether it’s here or up in Sydney or other places around the country, because as you move from stall to stall, you find small family businesses, intergenerational businesses that are providing jobs, that are supporting themselves, working hard.
This is the fabric of our Australian economy and I’m always so inspired when I talk to people here about the challenges they face and the indomitable spirit they have. This is a lifestyle, this is a way of actually ensuring they’re providing for themselves and their own families and they’re doing it for generations. I mean four generations is the common refrain you’ll hear as you go from stall to stall and producer to producer. So it’s tremendous to be here, backing in small and family businesses.
As you know, particularly up in these markets, they’re businesses that were established by migrants who came to Australia either recently or going back generations and they’ve continued that tradition of hard work. People who came to Australia because they knew it was a place with a fair go for those who have a go. They are very much the values and the belief system of the Liberal Party and what we’re taking forward once again to this next election.
Now, our plan for small and family business is on the record. We’ve cut taxes for small and family businesses. We’ve given increased investment allowances. Increasing the instant asset write-off to $25,000. We’ve cut red tape when it comes to GST compliance from three page forms down to three question forms. We’ve ensured that we’re working to reduce electricity prices by having the policies that hold the big energy companies to account. These are the things that matter to small businesses and cutting red tape for small businesses is incredibly important. Now that’s what we’re doing for small and family businesses and they can expect more of it from my Government.
What the Labor Party have been announcing in recent times will be a curse on small business and family businesses; increasing their costs, increasing their taxes, increasing their red tape. Bill Shorten and Labor’s plan for small and family businesses like the ones you see here, is to basically tell them; “You choose who you’ll have to sack to meet your wages bill,” under a policy that he himself can’t even explain to the Australian people.
As I’ve talked to stall-holders here today, business is okay, but it’s tough. You know what, as our economy moves into more challenging times, now is not the time - it’s never the time, but particularly now - that you would hand the steering wheel of the economy to someone who doesn’t know how to drive one. That’s Bill Shorten.
It is a very dangerous time to be having experiments of high taxes and unexplained polices on wages on the Australian economy, because so many people’s livelihoods and jobs depend on it. These businesses have invested their lifeblood in these businesses and they’ve been doing it for generations. Our policies and our support is backing them in. The Labor Party’s policies will attack the very success of these businesses and that’s why I’m here to stand with those businesses here this morning and stand with them for their futures and defend the things that they need defended, so they can continue to be prosperous.
JOURNALIST: Wouldn’t Labor’s policies though help boost spending, and therefore boost the economy?
PRIME MINISTER: No, because Labor's policies will force businesses like the ones here and all around the country, to sack workers. I don't know how sacking workers and reducing jobs is going to help the Australian economy.
Let me give you an example. With what Labor still can't even explain today, the first people to be hit will be those who want the overtime hours, or the casuals, or the young people who are taking on jobs. They will be the first casualties of Bill Shorten's policies when it comes to the costs he's going to put on small and family businesses. I don't know where he thinks the money is going to rain down from, for them to meet these additional costs. It shows that he has no empathy and no clue about the pressures facing small and family businesses. I understand it, that's why I cut their taxes. When I cut their taxes, the Labor Party opposed me in the Parliament for years. We eventually were able to get it through the Senate and now we have been able to bring forward those tax cuts for small and family businesses down to 25 per cent and we brought that forward by five years.
So, I want small and family businesses to earn more, to keep more of what they earn, so they can pay their staff better and more, because I know that's what small and family businesses do. They will go without taking a return for themselves, to keep their employees in jobs.
What Bill Shorten is doing now is telling them; "You choose who needs to go, to enable you to meet your wages bill."
JOURNALIST: Speaking of wages, in the upcoming federal budget, how big are personal income tax cuts likely to be?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've gotten into that pre-Budget speculation time, that's very usual. Having been a Treasurer, I'm used to it and when we're making announcements on things in the Budget, that's when we'll do it. But I can tell you, my Government is always for lower taxes. We've legislated $144 billion worth of tax cuts for all Australians, tax relief for all Australians.
Labor at the next election wants to cut that tax relief in half by $70 billion, denying millions of Australians the tax relief that they deserve and has been legislated.
JOURNALIST: Speaking of wages, there's a suggestion in the paper this morning that restaurant and cafe owners would like to see a freeze on the minimum wage. Is there any justification for that?
PRIME MINISTER: Minimum wages should be set by the independent umpire which is the Fair Work Commission. They have a transparent process for determining that, that process is underway now. That's where these things should be determined in the proper, fair and transparent way. The last time they had a determination, it went up by over 3 per cent, that was their last determination and that's how these decisions should be set.
What concerns me about what Bill Shorten is saying is, he's either lying to Australians - that he can do something about their wages, because he hasn't explained how he's actually going to do it – or if he's telling the truth, then he is putting an enormous cost on small and family businesses that will force them to lay off staff. That is not good for the Australian economy.
Our Government is about jobs and we've got the record on jobs. Over 1.25 million jobs have been created under the policies that have backed small and family businesses over the last five and a half years. And we're going to create another 1.25 million over the next five years by keeping to those policies. The way you increase wages is you have a strong economy and lower taxes.
Bill Shorten wants to put up taxes on all Australians, $200 billion worth of higher taxes on the economy over the next 10 years. That will suffocate the economy and businesses like the ones that you see out here today.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister [inaudible] the Government’s decision to change it’s position on mortgage broker commissions, is it [inaudible] policy?
PRIME MINISTER: No, actually it was basic fairness and sitting down and consulting with the industry. There’s a very clear position when it comes to mortgage brokers and I commissioned a report from the Productivity Commission when I was Treasurer which came back and recommended basically keeping the status quo when it came to arrangements for mortgage brokers. So there was a series of advice before the Government, mortgage brokers basically help customers get the best deal when it comes to their mortgages and they’re not left basically naked to the big banks. Our concern was after having responded to the Royal Commission, having sat down with the industry to work through implementation issues on talking action on the Royal Commission, that the best thing for us to do was not to leave customers exposed by ensuring that mortgage brokers were weaker. Mortgage brokers, there’s some 25,000 people who work in mortgage broking businesses around the country and many of them are just sole operator businesses, many of them are female sole operator businesses. We want to see the mortgage broking industry continue to thrive, so under our plan they’ll have the status quo when it comes to the commissions and others so they can continue to run their businesses. It’ll be looked at again in three years and we’re backing the mortgage brokers in, because because they back the mortgage owners in - those looking to buy a home and get the best deal out of their mortgage. Labor wants to pull the rug out from under them, so I think mortgage brokers and those who rely on them can have a very clear choice; we’re backing the mortgage brokers, Labor is backing the big banks.
JOURNALIST: The Greens will say climate change is a key issue coming up to the election, what is the key issue for you, the stand out issue going into the next election?
PRIME MINISTER: The biggest issue is always, how do you continue to drive forward a strong economy? Because with a strong economy you can pay for hospitals. With a strong economy you can put 2,000 medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. You can pay for schools, you can pay for your environmental policies like our Climate Solutions Fund, our Community Environment Program which invest in the wellbeing of our environment and meeting our emissions reduction targets by 2030. Now it’s been several weeks now, almost three weeks since I came to Melbourne and I outlined in some detail how our Government is going to meet it’s emissions reduction targets by 2030. I went through it tonne by tonne.
Bill Shorten still cannot tell the Australian people how he intends to meet his reckless target of 45 per cent, that will cost wage earners some $9,000 a year, push up electricity prices at the wholesale level by 56 per cent, and cost jobs. Now, he needs to explain it. He can’t even answer the most basic question about whether he will use the carry over credits - which I’ve been very up front about, we earned those credits as a Government because we overachieved and will overachieve on the 2020 Kyoto targets. Now Bill Shorten can’t tell people today whether he’s using those carry over credits or not, to meet his targets, then he doesn’t have a policy. It is the most basic question when it comes to climate policy that I could nominate to you. It’s very simple; are you going to use them or not, Bill? Be up front with the Australian people about your climate policy, what it’s going to cost in jobs, how you’re going to achieve it. I’ve certainly done that, I’ve been very transparent about it because I think Australians deserve to know how their Government is going to meet their commitments on climate change and carbon abatement. We’ve got our policies in place and they’ll work.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] today about an Australian-born Islamic State bride who wants to return home with her baby daughter. Do you support her returning?
PRIME MINISTER: The great tragedy of those who went and joined up with terrorists, to support terrorist causes through Daesh and have taken their families into warzones where they’re basically fighting against Australia, is they have placed their children in this horrendous position. Now, they have to take responsibility for those decisions to join up with terrorists who are fighting Australia. I’m not going to put any Australian at risk to try to extract people from those situations. They have made their decisions and if they’re Australian citizens, if they are Australians citizens, well, there is a process for us to deal with them under Australian law and they will face the full force of Australian law should they be in a position to try to come back to Australia.
JOURNALIST: Does that mean [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Temporary exclusion orders we have put into the Parliament, which are important laws, effectively work like a probation or parole if you like, when people return, to be placed under reporting arrangements. Now I think the children are innocent victims in the terrorist acts of their parents and we’ve seen some despicable acts, Khaled Sharrouf the worst of all in what he did with his children. But you know, they’re Australian citizens, they’ll face the full force of Australian law and I am not going to put –
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: Well the Australian Government will take it’s decisions on each and every case, but where an Australian citizen is seeking to return to Australia, there are arrangements to provide for that but it would be done basically, coming back to face charges for the crimes that they’ve been involved in by supporting terrorist acts, providing comfort and support to those and encouragement and seeking to incite terrorist acts in Australia.
So, if you’re coming home, you’re coming home to face the full force of the law.
The great tragedy is how children get caught up in the crimes against Australia, of their parents.
JOURNALIST: Why have you taken such a keen interest in preselection for Reid?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, when we’re in a position about that matter, we will -
JOURNALIST: Do you hold out hope that Craig Laundy will run?
PRIME MINISTER: When I’m in a position to make announcements about that, I will.
JOURNALIST: Are you wanting to parachute someone into his seat?
PRIME MINISTER: Same answer. Thanks very much, it’s great to have Katie and Gladys here and to get a bit of a cooking lesson from Glayds on some of the produce back here as well. I want to thank these businesses, I want to thank the Markets particularly for having us here today. We’re going to back these businesses in every single day of the week. Bill Shorten would let them down.
Thank you.
Community Language Grants to build stronger communities
14 March 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Immigration Citizenship & Multicultural Affairs
More young Australians will learn another language with a funding boost set to connect people to new languages and cultures.
The Morrison Government has committed $10 million through the Community Languages Multicultural Grants Program to support not-for-profit community language schools.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Grants Program would deliver a stronger Australia and invest in the future of Australia’s workforce to help them compete in an increasingly multilingual global market.
“Community language schools play a key role connecting young Australians with new cultures and the cultures of their ancestors,” the Prime Minister said.
“As well as building on Australia’s successful multicultural society, community language schools help prepare students for a workforce that increasingly works with different countries and cultures.”
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman said there are 1000 community language schools across Australia who would be eligible for the grants. These schools specialise in 69 different languages and teach more than 100,000 school-aged children.
“A quarter of Australian children and teenagers speak a language other than English at home,” Mr Coleman said.
“We also know that learning community languages leads to better social and education outcomes for Australian children.
“These grants will assist more children and students learn and use another language which will have positive impacts well into the future.”
The Grants will be available for eligible community language schools on a per student basis to cover costs such as teaching materials, staff wages and new equipment.
Grants will also be available for eligible community language schools to develop teaching materials or run training activities. These grants will have a positive flow-on effect to other community language schools that teach and use the same language, with schools encouraged to partner together to develop proposals and share materials.
Community Languages Multicultural Grant applications will open shortly.
Doorstop with the Premier of Victoria
13 March 2019
HON DANIEL ANDREWS MP, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Well thanks so much for joining us here at Sunshine station, I’m delighted to be here today with the Prime Minster Scott Morrison, with ministerial colleagues Alan Tudge and Jacinta Allan to mark a very significant milestone in the delivery of the Airport Rail Link. For decades, people have talked about building a heavy rail link to Melbourne Airport. We’re not talking about it anymore, we’re getting on and delivering this very important project.
When you think about it, Melbourne Airport has got about 35,000 people moving in and out of it, trips each and every year. That will double over the next 20 years to the best part of 70 million trips in an out of that important asset, curfew free, a very important part not just of the Victorian economy, but our national economy as well. Getting people to and from the airport is very important and there’s no better way, no more efficient way to do that than a dedicated heavy rail link.
We’ve had discussions with the Commonwealth Government now for quite some time to determine which was the best corridor, there were are number of different options. Coming through Sunshine, through that Albion east corridor has now been decided as the preferred corridor and we can commit, we can announce today that we’ve signed an agreement between the two governments that will see between the two of us, invest some $10 billion to deliver this project. The business case, the detailed planning, where the stations will be, how it will be procured, all of that intense work, we’ve already started that process. That’ll be concluded next year in 2020 and construction will begin in 2022. The other point to note as well is not only is this a link to the airport, but Sunshine station will be one of three ‘super stations’ if you like, Sunshine, Broadmeadows and Clayton, linking all of our regional services with the Suburban Rail Loop, so that you can get to the airport but also right throughout the suburbs of Melbourne, from the regions and from suburban Melbourne, without going into the CBD.
This is essentially the western section of that Suburban Rail Loop with construction underway in 22’ and the south eastern section between Cheltenham and Box Hill will similarly be under construction in 2022 as well. Can I thank the Prime Minister for the very positive partnership that we’ve had around this project. We’ve worked hard to get to this point, this is a very significant milestone and we’re very pleased to be partnering with the Commonwealth Government to deliver a project that has been talked about for decades. It Is much-needed and will be delivered under the partnership that we’re announcing today and I think we’ve got the corridor right. This is not just about a link to the airport, it unlocks capacity for better and faster regional rail services and of course is an important part of that overall Suburban Rail Loop which is really the biggest and the most important public transport investment that our state has ever seen and one of the biggest heavy rail infrastructure projects anywhere in the world.
So PM, thank you so much for the partnership. This is exactly the way things should be done, working together, delivering the projects that have been talked about for a long time. That’s what is most important and the jobs and skills attainment, the productivity, efficiency and setting us up for the future that will come from this project is very important, I know, to all Victorians and is a nationally significant partnership as well. I might now hand over to the PM and then we’re happy to take any questions you’ve got.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much Dan, thank you Premier Andrews, Minister and Minister Alan Tudge. This is a big deal and it’s an inked deal now between the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments. $10 billion in investment in one of the biggest, game-changing, city-changing projects that we will see in our generation.
Earlier in the week, I was announcing a project with the New South Wales State Government on the North South Rail there, for the Western Sydney International Airport today. Today I'm standing here with Premier Andrews here in Victoria, on another big project which is changing the shape of our cities.
Australians, particularly those who are living in cities, just expect governments to work together to deliver these important projects. These are visionary projects and they commence with deals and agreements like this one that we've been able to sign today. This project is important of course, for one of the most rapidly growing cities in our country, a city which is constantly evolving and has massive infrastructure demands. And the partnerships that we have - not only on this, but on congestion-busting infrastructure to ensure that Australians can get home and spend more time with their families and spend less time in traffic jams and more time on site if you're a tradie – that is what all these projects do. So to have the partnership with the Victorian Government, which is delivering on the projects - and there are many that we're working on together at the moment - I think it’s incredibly important. But to realise the real benefit of Melbourne Airport, it does require of course, this rail link. It’s long overdue and I'm pleased that we're working together to now deliver on that.
It's not only important for Melbourne though, I've got to say and the state more broadly. This is an incredibly important project for the entire nation, that enables Melbourne to realise its’ potential, to cope with its’ growth and to ensure that it continues to prosper as it grows and not be held back by infrastructure or other needs that it has. So this is about realising a stronger economy nationally and a stronger economy here in Melbourne, here in Victoria. So the partnership makes absolute and complete sense and I want to thank Premier Andrews also for the way that he's engaged with this project and the very constructive relationship we've had between our ministers in getting to this day as we've signed the heads of agreement here to proceed on this partnership basis. But I also want to thank the Premier for earlier this week, we were able to conclude our City Deal down there in Geelong and that was announced earlier in the week. So, two agreements we are effectively signing today.
The other area we've been working closely on as I have been - on another topic, if you'll indulge me - is on the royal commission into disabilities. I want to thank Premier Andrews for working closely with me on this and all Premiers, Premier Berejiklian, I was talking to Mark McGowan over in Western Australia on the weekend, Premier Palaszczuk, Premier Marshall, Premier Hodgman. We've all been working together since I indicated that the Government would be moving forward with this. Today we are releasing the draft terms of reference for the royal commission into disabilities. That will be available for comment out until March 28. It is the product already of consultation within the sector and with states and territories and ministers responsible for disabilities already, which has been led by Minister Fletcher.
This royal commission into disabilities is focused on people with disabilities, it's focused on how they have been mistreated, abused, not respected, been held back, not been able to realise their opportunities to live full and complete lives in this country. In the draft terms of reference, there is no timeframe limit on going back into history, where people will be able to bring forward their stories and talk about the way that they have had to live their lives as a person in Australia living with disabilities. I think this has been an incredibly cooperative process. I want to thank all of the state Premiers and Chief Ministers for working closely with us to get to this point. The Commonwealth will be fully funding the royal commission into disabilities of course. We had to ask the question there. But the states and territories have all given me their commitment to issue joint letters patent on this issue, so that we can proceed. That was critically important to ensure the Royal Commission could go forward in this way. So another important partnership project. Once we have gone through the consultation phase, then we will move quickly to establish that terms of reference. This will include consultation with the Federal Opposition, I gave the undertaking to Mr Shorten some time ago and that they will be able to participate in process like all the other key stakeholders.
So a very important day for Melbourne, a very important day for the country as we go forward with visionary, ground-breaking, city-changing infrastructure. Thank you. Happy to take questions on this project and if there are questions on federal issues of the day, I won’t burden our state colleagues with those. I'm sure that they might want to attend to other matters.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister what’s going to happen to the $3 billion set aside for the East West Link, is that possibly going to be shifted to the airport project before [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Our $5 billion for the airport project is already in the baselines for the Federal Budget, so that $5 billion is already committed. The money is absolutely there and I put that in the last Budget.
In terms of the commitment to the East West Link, well, this is obviously a project that we have different views on with the State Government. That's okay, we don't have to agree on absolutely everything. Our commitment to that project remains at it is, but as we go forward to the next Budget, I can assure you that Victoria will be well addressed in terms of its’ infrastructure needs and we’ve been working together with Minister Tudge and I've been having good discussions with the Premier about the priorities here in Victoria. So Victoria is very high on my list when it comes to infrastructure. Why? Because it's a city that is groaning under the strains of population growth. If you want to deal with population growth, you've got to deal with infrastructure and that's what we're announcing here today and that's why we’ve had $200 million in congestion-busting projects we’ve already announced, including over $60 million for park and pide projects, with car parking at rail stations around Melbourne already.
JOURNALIST: Will the Commonwealth be looking to recoup any of it’s investment through value capture?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ve put $5 billion into the Budget on the basis of treating it as a grant. Now, we're open to working together with the State Government about what the best structure and model is to actually deliver the project, ultimately. So they're matters that will be determined as you work through the detail of how the corporate structure for this program will be run. But how have we treated it in our Budget? We’ve treated it as a grant and the $5 billion is there in hard cash.
JOURNALIST: The nine years that it’s estimated to take to build the railway, is that a recognition that [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry I missed that last part.
JOURNALIST: Is that a recognition that a pretty large tunnel will be needed through the western suburbs?
PRIME MINISTER: I might get the Premier to comment on that because the ‘on the ground’ delivery of this project, as with all projects, are run by state governments. But today importantly we've agreed on the preferred route for this project and that enables us I think, to start getting into the detail of those sorts of issues. Premier?
PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Sure. The key point to make here I think is that a project of this size and you’re talking about $10 billion or more worth of investment, is something that does take some time. This is about the same scale if you like, in terms of dollars at least and it’s comparable to the Metro Tunnel, which as you know is one of the biggest public transport projects in the nation at the moment and the biggest that Victoria has ever seen to date. The engineers will guide us on exactly what gets tunnelled and what doesn't. The key point about this corridor coming through Sunshine is that there's already an existing rail alignment. That means that you can deliver it more cost effectively, you can deliver it more quickly.
One the nine year issue though, as with the Metro Tunnel where we're fully a year ahead of schedule, as with level crossings where we promised 20 would be gone and we've got 29 gone - if we can deliver this more quickly than the nine years, then of course we will be only too happy to do that. Ultimately, this should have been done a long, long time ago. It would have been cheaper, it might even have been quicker then. At the end of the day though, we're making this decision now and it's one that will set us up for the future. It will take some time but we're not waiting any longer. We're getting on and actually delivering this.
JOURNALIST: Will it be faster than the red bus or a taxi?
PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Look, I think you'll have lots of different ways to get to the airport, this will be relevant for some people. Some people will choose to go this way, other people will continue to use ride sharing services, others will continue to use Sky Bus, some will drive and pay the parking fees. The issue here is to give people choice and to give people an option that they've never, ever had before. When you think about going from 35 to 70 million trips in and out of that airport every year, the airport simply won't function without this rail link. In terms of speed, that will be determined, just as price will be determined, frequency of services, where the stations will be, all of those issues are part of that very detailed business case. There's already been a preliminary one done to choose this Sunshine corridor. The detailed planning work, all of those matters and lots more, together with the engineering treatments, how we procure it and issues of value creation, value capture, all of that has already started and will be concluded next year. Then we’ll be underway and under construction by 2022.
PRIME MINISTER: Just on what you're saying there in terms of choice, the Premier is absolutely right in terms of the choices that Melburnians will make. But this will also be a very important choice for international travellers and domestic travellers coming in. So from a tourism perspective, where you go to pretty much any serious international airport anywhere in the world today, that rail option is critically important for them, as I know from my tourism background. So that option is critically important for the tourism strength, I think, that Melbourne is the world-leading destination that it is.
JOURNALIST: In terms of working this in with the Suburban Rail Loop, does that require you to have the [inaudible] rail loop plans before you start construction of the airport rail link, given the two are so closely linked and the Sunshine interchange is going to play such a critical role there?
PREMIER OF VICTORIA: No, this becomes - the real strength of the Suburban Rail Loop in many respects is that it can be done in a modular form, if you like. So we'll have Cheltenham to Box Hill underway in 2022, we'll have airport rail link, so city, Sunshine and the airport will be underway by 2022 as well and we'll be able to make that top section which probably would be two sections I would think, all of that would be able to be delivered so that it's one seamless journey, if you like, when it’s all ultimately completed. That's some time away, it's a very, very big project. The other point as well, the sequencing of this will be very important. That's why getting the planning right is obviously at the top of our list. With further electrification into the west beyond the airport rail link, so separating regional trains from metro trains so they're not competing for the same track, then we can potentially run - in fact, it is our intention - to run faster, indeed rapid, really high-speed rail into Ballarat and Geelong.
So this is the airport rail link yes, but it's done in such a way, I think, an elegant way, to make it part of that Suburban Rail Loop and part of a much better service offering for regional cities. That's important for our population growth and all of those other factors as well.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] private sector money probably, to fill out [inaudible] the project. There’s 45 billion on the table for metro trails [inaudible]?
PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Well again I wouldn’t want to be singling out or putting anyone in the box seat as it were. There is a market-led proposal, a private sector proposal that is being considered by Treasury and Finance in the usual way. That's separate to the announcement that we're making today and it would need to represent better value than what we’re putting forward today, otherwise we wouldn't do it. There may well be others and I think that the opportunity around private sector engagement is more than just the entire project. You can have different elements of the project where the private sector may well have a really important contribution to make, around property development, not so much capturing value, but actually creating it. These station boxes, wherever they might go - Sunshine is obviously going to be one of them - but there will be opportunities for us to leverage the investment that we're making on behalf of taxpayers, either to offset some of the cost or to do more. That's the great opportunity when you get the projects underway and you're not talking about them any more, and you’re actually delivering them, all sorts of things become possible.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah the heads of agreement that we've signed today I think gives the market a lot of certainty about our commitment. Our money is down and I think that that means that other proponents and participants will really get their pencils sharpened now and be able to engage in a process which I think will give us lots of options. This will be one of the most significant metropolitan rail projects anywhere in the country.
JOURNALIST: The airport train is going to link up [inaudible], does that means there’s a chance those trains will go through the [inaudible]?
PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Well part of the Metro Tunnel and why it’s so important is that there’s the issue you raise and that’s possible that will be something that will have to be worked through in terms of the detailed engineering treatment on some of that. As I said, there’s already been a preliminary business case, a lot of work went into that to choose the corridor. Then the really intensive planning, which has already started, that’s the work that will be completed next year, that’ll deal with all of those issues. The other thing around Metro Tunnel, why it’s so important is that not only are we taking the busiest line out of the loop, which is great for people travelling on that line, it also frees up enormous amounts of space within the current City Loop. So in every way, Metro Tunnel is a very, very important project and were delighted to be not just on track, but indeed a year ahead of schedule. We’ve all been out recently to see lots of tunnel boring machines, more than has ever been the case in our country really, being assembled. That is a project that is becoming very real as we get further and further into it.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister can I ask you how you think you’re travelling in Victoria politically, do you think that some of the state results could be reflected in seats like Kooyong and Higgins federally?
PRIME MINISTER: What I know about Victorians is they want us to manage the challenges of population growth. They want us to be able to ensure that the stronger economy that is being delivered over the last five years is being reinvested in the infrastructure and services that Melbournians need. So I’m going to work with anyone and everyone who is on that task and the Premier is on that task with us today. So whether it’s the projects we’re announcing today, down in Geelong or here in terms of Sunshine and the corridor and the airport rail link, or indeed if it’s the other projects, the park and ride projects at rail stations, or any of these things - these all improve the quality of life of Melbournians and that’s our focus. That’s our project. One of the reason I asked Alan Tudge to take on the job of congestion-busting as the Minister is I wanted Melbourne eyes on what is a very, very Melbourne problem when it comes to managing population growth. I commend Alan for the great work and I’ll have more to say about the work that he’s done over the next few weeks. But we’ve had a very strong focus on managing these challenges of population growth. I acknowledge and appreciate the work that the Premier has done and the ability for us to work together on it, I think we both agree that our constituents just want us to get on and do these things and that’s what we’re doing today.
JOURNALIST: Labor is talking about boosting minimum wages for workers?
PRIME MINISTER: I think we’re moving to broader topics now Dan.
PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Any other state questions of the day?
JOURNALIST: George Pell. Do either of you think that the Catholic Church and other clergy have to … what can they do to rebuild respect? And, if you want … what do you think of the Pell case?
PRIME MINISTER: Why don’t I start? I’m going to say exactly what I said on the day that the conviction was stated. Today again, there will be thousands of Australians all around the country who will be once again reminded of the terrible things that happened to them in the past in terms of sexual abuse within institutions around this country. That’s who my thoughts are with. As I said, I led the national apology to these victims and my thoughts are only with them. My thoughts are only with the victims and more importantly, they are with the survivors. Because all of these victims, we’re working to ensure that they be survivors, as so many of them have. I would just ask Australians today to get around those who have been victims of child sexual abuse and let them know that we know it happened. That we want to help you be stronger and to survive what is the most abominable thing you could think would happen to an individual, the breach of trust. Those who broke that trust, it’s up to them to restore it and to do what is necessary to achieve that. But for me, it’s about those against whom the abuse was directed and enacted. It’s the most abhorrent thing I can think of. So that’s who I’m thinking about today.
JOURNALIST: Bill Shorten [inaudible]. What do you say?
PRIME MINISTER: The Budget is in a couple of weeks’ time and we’ll be making our announcements about further projects over the course of the period leading up to the Budget and in the Budget.
JOURNALIST: Shall we talk minimum wages?
PRIME MINISTER: Okay, thanks Dan.
PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Okay, thanks very much everyone.
PRIME MINISTER: So, I think what was interesting yesterday is when the shadow treasurer’s office was asked about Bill Shorten’s supposed plan on wages, they directed all questions to Bill Shorten’s office. The shadow treasurer doesn’t even know what Bill Shorten’s plan is. Bill Shorten is trying to perpetuate a lie on Australians that he personally, through force of some mechanism which he is yet to define, can actually change people’s wages in this country.
I’ll tell you where stronger wages come from; they come from a stronger economy where businesses are growing and they can employ more people. They earn more money and they’re able to pass on wage increases, that’s how you grow wages in this country.
You don’t grow wages by increasing taxes. You don’t grow wages by suffocating your economy and you don’t grow wages, as small businesses have said plainly, by forcing small businesses to sack some workers, to pay others more.
Bill Shorten needs to come clean about this. What is he exactly proposing here? Because what is sounds like to me at the moment is he’s going to force small and family businesses all around the country to sack people, in order to possibly give some others a few more dollars. Now I don’t think Australian want to see their co-workers sacked, for them to do better, but that’s Bill Shorten’s plan for Australia; to set one Australian against another. He’s engaged in this war of envy on Australians, on the economy, on businesses, on employees. I want to see Australians work together so they’ve got shared prosperity, not setting one Australian against another in his politics of envy. I think Australians want to best for everybody. They want to be aspirational, they see the champion in every Australian whether they’re a disabled Australian who should be treated with greater respect and not subject to abuse, or other Australians who have done well, everybody can succeed in Australia. I don’t want to see some punished, for the benefit of some others, I don’t think that’s how Australians work. I think they want us to work together.
JOURNALIST: On the issue of coal you have Cabinet Ministers publically advocating for coal-fired generation, how can you tolerate this type of defiance of your leadership?
PRIME MINISTER: I think Barnaby put this matter to rest this morning. He’s a passionate fellow, there’s no doubt about that and I think he settled those issues down this morning in the comments he’s made about his missteps earlier in the week. What we need is reliable, sustainable power for the future to drive our industries. We all agree on that and we’re technology and resource agnostic when it comes to that. We want to see those projects come forward, we’ve already got Snowy Hydro 2.0 and the Marinus link which I announced a little while ago will be very important for Victoria. That Marinus link interconnector to Tasmania, there’s 400 megawatts just sitting there at the moment, which is going to waste because of the lack of interconnector capacity between Tasmania and Victoria. So these projects will free up and provide the reliable baseload power that Australians, Victorians need and indeed north Queenslanders need.
Our plans are about supporting the development of commercially viable and feasible baseload power all around the country. It could be gas, it could be hydrogen, it could be any number of sources of energy, it can be hydro as we have said and it can be other traditional sources. But at the end of the day, we’re about getting lower power prices. It’s about having sensible emission reduction targets. I’ve announced what our reduction target is, it’s the same target we’ve had for years. I’ve also announced exactly how we’re going to meet our emissions reduction target of 26 per cent out to 2030.
Bill Shorten can’t even tell you - and yesterday refused to tell you - how he will meet his 45 per cent emission reduction target. He can’t even tell you whether he plans to use the carry over credits from what we’ve already been able to achieve by exceeding our Kyoto commitments to date. Now, if you cannot tell Australians whether you’re going to use carry over commitments in carbon abatement, you do not have a policy. So Bill Shorten needs to come clean. How are you going to meet you targets Bill? How many jobs is it going to cost? Independent assessments already say that it’s going to cost wage earners $9,000 a year and hundreds of thousands of jobs. So he needs to come clean. How are you going to meet your reckless targets, Bill? You need to answer the question. I have, I did it over two weeks ago, I’m still waiting for your answer.
JOURNALIST: Is climate change a factor that you’re taking into account when you’re setting out your economic policy?
PRIME MINISTER: It always has been. I was Treasurer for three years, it has always been part of our settings, it has always been acknowledged in our policy settings. We’ve had the same target on emission reduction for years, for years it hasn’t changed and our polices to achieve our emissions reduction targets have been effective. Kyoto 1 of course was met. We had a 1.1 billion tonne turnaround to meet our 2020 targets when we came into office. We’ve had to turn it around by 1.1 billion tonnes from the deficit that was left to us by Labor, because their plans weren’t working. Our plans have worked and we will beat our Kyoto 2 targets by about 367 million tons. So we’ve demonstrated through our performance on emissions reductions. We set targets, we meet them. We’ve set a 2030 target and we’ve set out how we’re going to meet it.
Bill Shorten has a reckless target which will shut down industries, particularly in north Queensland and drive up power prices by over 50 per cent at wholesale levels. And he’s yet to tell Australians how he’s going to get there. So you know, it’s up to him, he’s got to be up front with Australians about the cost of his policies.
With what he said when it comes to wages, he needs to tell Australians; how many jobs is that going to cost? How many small businesses is it going to shut down? He’s saying to coffee shop owners and other small businesses all around the country; “Sack someone.” “Sack someone,” that’s his policy, that people should be sacked to achieve his policy.
I am for jobs and under our Government 1.27 million jobs were created already and another 1.25 million over the next five years. We’ve been the jobs Government, Bill Shorten wants to sacrifice jobs for his politics of envy.
Thanks very much.
Airport Rail Link closer to takeoff as joint agreement signed
13 March 2019
Prime Minister, Premier of Victoria, Minister for Cities Urban Infrastructure and Population, Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure
Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL) is set to become a reality, with the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments formally signing off on the project.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the signing of the Heads of Agreement today, which sets out the strategic objectives, governance arrangements and information sharing processes for the $10 billion joint commitment.
Mr Morrison said the people of Melbourne and Victoria had been waiting far too long for the rail link to become a reality.
“For decades Victorians have talked about a train line to the airport. We are delivering it. In last year’s Budget we made a $5 billion investment in the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, it was the biggest infrastructure commitment in the Budget.
“Melbourne is truly a global city that deserves world class infrastructure. The Rail Link is part of our plan to bust congestion across the city, and get people home faster and safer.
“I’d like to thank the Premier and Minister Tudge who have worked constructively with me to land this agreement and bring the project closer to fruition.”
A project team will be established to drive the development of a full Business Case for the project, which will not only connect Melbourne Airport to the rail network for the first time, but also integrate it with the Metro Tunnel and the future Suburban Rail Loop, and pave the way for fast rail to the regions.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the Victorian Government is not wasting a minute leading the planning work for an Airport Rail Link that delivers for all Victorians.
“The Melbourne Airport Rail Link has been talked about for far too long – we’re doing the detailed planning and development work to make it a reality,” Mr Andrews said.
“By choosing the Sunshine route, we are ensuring all Victorians can benefit from the rail link, including people living in Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. As we complete the business case, we’re also doing the work needed to deliver fast rail to the regions.”
Melbourne Airport is a key part of Victoria and Australia’s economic growth. In 2016/17, it handled more than 35 million passenger movements and by 2038, it is expected to almost double to more than 67 million, as Victoria’s population continues to grow and demand increases.
Melbourne Airport Rail Link will alleviate congestion on the main road connection to the airport, the Tullamarine Freeway, and unlock capacity for the growing population in Melbourne’s north-west.
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said following the successful widening of the Tullamarine Freeway, the airport link would bust congestion for generations to come.
“This is a critical project for Melbourne. It will make it easier for residents and make our city more attractive to visitors,” Mr Tudge said.
“When complete, someone in Pakenham, Frankston or Ringwood will be able to get onto the train and be at the airport in the time it would have taken to drive, but without having to worry about parking.”
Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said this is part of the Victorian Government’s unprecedented pipeline of major transport projects.
“We’re building the Metro Tunnel, removing dangerous level crossings and getting on with the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.”
“This is not just about getting from the airport to the city – it’s about better connecting our suburbs and regions, so people have better services wherever they live.”
Planning and development of the MARL Business Case is already well underway. Rail Projects Victoria has engaged expert technical and commercial advisers for the project and ecological, traffic and geotechnical investigations have begun.
Early market engagement on the MARL attracted submissions from more than 100 local and global organisations. Further market sounding will be undertaken to assess equity partners, private sector involvement, financing arrangements and other matters.
A reference group including community, industry and local government representatives will be established to provide guidance and feedback to the project team as the Business Case is developed.
The State and Federal Governments have committed up to $5 billion each to deliver MARL. The total cost of the project is estimated to be in the range of $8-13 billion, with construction to take up to nine years and due to commence in 2022.
The Business Case will be delivered by 2020 and will assess station and procurement options, value capture and creation opportunities, and economic analysis of the recommended solution.
North Queensland Flood Recovery Advisory Board appointed
13 March 2019
A panel of experts has been signed on to back the North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency help farmers, communities and related small businesses impacted by recent floods.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new Advisory Board would bring invaluable experience and insights to the flood recovery effort.
“We’re in this for the long-haul because we know the scale and time it will take to get North Queensland back on its feet after the floods,” the Prime Minister said.
“This is about bringing together the right mix of people to help guide the Recovery Agency over the coming months and years.”
The Board will support the CEO of the North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency (the Agency), Shane Stone AC QC, and comprises members with extensive experience in the livestock industry, stakeholder groups, and representatives of federal and local governments.
Members of the Advisory Board are:
Shane Stone AC QC (Chair) - CEO North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency
Tracey Hayes – former CEO of NT Cattlemen’s Association and board member of the Council for the Order of Australia
Don Heatley OAM - former Chair of Meat and Livestock Australia
Greg Campbell - Mayor of Cloncurry Shire Council
David Galvin - former Chair of LiveCorp
Daryl Quinlivan - Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
The Agency CEO and Board Chair Shane Stone AC QC said he was focused on getting out to the communities most affected by the flooding to better understand what they needed.
“The Board will play a vital role in providing expert advice, especially as a long-term recovery strategy is developed,” Mr Stone said.
“The Agency’s approach will be based on locally led, locally understood and locally implemented solutions, and this will be a community-led recovery implemented in partnership with the Queensland and local governments.”
The Agency Advisory Board held its’ inaugural meeting in Townsville yesterday.
For more information about the Advisory Board and the North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency, visit http://pmc.gov.au/nqlira
2019 Sir Robert Menzies Lecture
12 March 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Well thank you very much for that very kind introduction. I want to come back to Josh in a sec, but first let me begin by also acknowledging our traditional owners the Boon Wurrung and Woiwurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation here in Melbourne. Can I also particularly acknowledge the servicemen and women who are here with us today and any veterans today. I simply say to you, thank you for your service. There are few things that I have greater pride in than saying to an ex serviceman or woman or veteran around the country, to simply offer them appreciation for their services wherever they happen to be and I know those in this room certainly share that view, as many do and I’d say all Australians do around the country. Can I start particularly by welcoming Michael McCormack the Deputy Prime Minister here today.
[Applause]
Is there anyone who knew better than Sir Robert Menzies the importance of a Coalition partnership to deliver good government to Australia? No one knew that better than Sir Robert Menzies and in fact when he went to Albury and to other places when he would speak, he’d say that was the key to good government in Australia and the partnership that we have with our colleagues in what was then the Country Party, today is the National Party. And can I tell you, the relationship I enjoy with Michael is a strong one, but importantly it’s one based on our shared values and our shared passion for our country and our absolute commitment to ensure that Bill Shorten never sets foot in the Prime Minister’s shoes in this country.
In the same way that Ming and Black Jack worked so well together over all of those years, I can tell you that ScoMo and Big Mac over here –
[Laughter]
We’re doing exactly the same thing today. It’s a strong bond and it’s a partnership that is important for our nation and for the things that we hold dear as Liberals. To Josh, yes, you will get to deliver that surplus Josh and you deserve to, the way you’ve applied yourself as Treasurer, the way you’ve gone about the task. I know what that task involves and I know that you’ll deliver in just under a month’s time, what will be the first time this country has seen a surplus Budget in a decade and more.
To all my other colleagues who are here, there are too many to mention so I won’t do that today. But I do want to acknowledge all the tremendous work that you are doing as we prepare for what will be the battle of battles, that is the next election. It will be just that, it will be just that. I know it, I’ve known it from the day I stepped into this job just over six months ago. I knew what was riding on it, I know what is at stake and I never take on a task that I don’t believe I can accomplish. I’ve had experience in politics where there have been people telling me that; “This can’t be achieved and that can’t be achieved.” I go quietly about the business and on the other side, I remind them of what they’ve said before.
To Ron Wilson and Members of the Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust thank you very much for what is a very humbling invitation to come and to join you all here today as Prime Minister, to deliver what is an important address in the history of our movement and in the life of our movement. Feel free to book me in for next year so I can match John’s two in a row.
[Applause]
I’m sorry John can’t be here because I suppose between Josh and I we bring together the finest of the Menzies and Howard traditions as a partnership as we look to our heroes in the Party. It’s great to have Menzies family members represented here today and one of the finest and loveliest moments I’ve had as a Prime Minister is one day when I was with my daughter Abbey at the Federal Secretariat in Canberra, Heather was there and they got to meet each other. They told wonderful stories to each other about her time when she was the Prime Minister’s daughter the first time around, because they were about the same age at that time. They talked about the room they stayed in and things like that, it was a beautiful moment for a father and daughters bring tremendous joy to fathers. My daughter’s name is Abigail which mean’s ‘father’s joy’ and that’s certainly the case, as is Lily.
To Gerard, thank you very much for hosting us here at EY today. You’re a great partner in these events and we thank you for it. To Nick Cater of course and the Menzies Research Centre, I congratulate you on your announcement today about the establishment of the Robert Menzies Institute located at Melbourne University. That’s a tremendous step forward and well done. So thank you again for the invitation to give this lecture during what is the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Liberal Party and the 70th Anniversary of Sir Robert Menzies’ historic win in 1949. I intend to repeat that in the true Liberal tradition.
In the history of nations there are always giants. They are the handful of men and women who through their courage, their perseverance, their intellect, passion and will, they change the course of their nation. In the life of Australia, Sir Robert Gordon Menzies certainly fits that bill. He is one of our greatest, if not our greatest giant when it comes to the history of modern Australia.
For those interested in records; thirty years on the front bench. Almost twenty five years as a party leader. Eighteen and a half years as Prime Minister of Australia. These are records that will never be broken.
But for others and I suspect all of us here, myself included, the significance of Sir Robert is not the records he broke – because that’s not what it was about, I believe for him – it’s the Party he built, the movement he founded and the values he championed that we have inherited and now have the privilege to steward and I do, as the party leader today and as Prime Minister.
Menzies did not name the Party after himself, that’s for populists, that’s for those who don’t look out into the future. Instead, he reached out and built a Party based on enduring truths; the truths of liberalism and liberal democracy that outlive any one individual or the fashion of any one time, truths that unite a rich breadth of thought across our community. He understood, as Margaret Thatcher said in her Menzies Lecture almost forty years ago that; “Pragmatism is not enough”. Unlike Labor, we are not the party of shallow deals, transacted by vested interests to favour some, in order to punish others. That’s not how we roll, that’s not what we are about. Our Party is based on the individual beliefs that guide the decisions that we make in our own lives, that we make in our own families and our communities. Our values and our beliefs come from the ground up, they are proven in our own individual experience, they’re not appropriated from above. They come from in here and then they come together with others.
Our foundation is the personal responsibility and unique worth of the individual, drawing meaning, purpose and strength for life, for our families and for our participation in the community.
Our families and the homes we live in are the scaffolding of our character and the values that will sustain our lives. It’s why Menzies spoke of; “Homes material, homes human and homes spiritual”.
From this sure foundation, comes civic mindedness, mutual respect, personal responsibility and a people that understand that the most satisfying thing is to contribute in life, rather than take.
As my parents taught me, they said; “Scott, life is not about what you accumulate, it’s about what you contribute.”
This is the wonderful, civilising tension that Sir Robert understood - that people need incentive, reward and opportunity to carve out their own path. But equally, that nations are not just the sum of individual efforts, they are also the result of the ties that collect us all up together. It is these ties that responsible political parties always seek to strengthen.
It’s why, Liberal and National Coalition Governments govern - in the words of John Howard - not for some of us, but for all of us. Our nation is named after that very pact, known as the ‘common wealth’ of Australia. A Commonwealth is a shared future, it’s a commitment to each other.
When individuals grow and prosper, we all benefit.
When one excels, we all cheer, because it lifts all of us.
We know that effort, work, drive, enthusiasm and risk-taking is the foundation for all human progress and when individuals face lifes’ trials, we support each other. Because lending a hand is the foundation of what it means to be genuinely human.
We understand that a strong economy is the foundation by which we can provide Australians with the essential services they rely on and they need. That the prosperity we are creating lifts all and we keep faith with each other and with future generations by focusing on this.
Under our Government, over 1.2 million new jobs have been created in the last five and a half years. These demonstrate the values that Sir Robert gifted to us. The women’s workforce participation rate is at an all time high. Women are in 712,500 jobs that they weren’t in when we came to Government, that’s how many jobs for women have been created under our Government. That’s over 55 per cent of all the jobs created under the term of our Government.
Participation by Australians over the age of 65 is also at a record high. Australians are living longer and healthier and this is also a positive sign reflecting a better view of ageing in our workplaces. As we remember Menzies today, it’s worth recalling that when he retired at 71, he handed the reins to a man he called “young Harold” who was 57. Seeing more older workers remain in the workforce, because they choose to, is a trend that will continue. As well, young people - a lot younger than “young Harold” and me - are benefiting absolutely from this jobs growth. Nothing brings me greater joy, previously as a Treasurer and now as Prime Minister, than seeing a young person get a job, because it transforms a life and indeed can transform a generation.
Last financial year, young people aged 15 to 24 filled more than 100,000 jobs in this country, which is the strongest level of youth jobs growth in Australia’s economic history. Of all the things our Government has achieved, I can’t nominate one of greater importance than that.
Because we have the right settings on taxes, trade, skills, small business and infrastructure, we can confidently set a target based on our track record of performance, of delivering 1.25 million new jobs over the next five years, by sticking to the economic plan that has delivered so handsomely for Australia over the last five and a half years.
“The strivers, the planners and the ambitious ones”; this is what Menzies described when he referred to the mums and dads, the small business people and workers that our country relies on. That’s why we are against Labor’s taxes – higher taxes on your electricity, taxes on your property, taxes on your retirement and more taxes on your income. Because it’s an attack on the true strength of Australia; ordinary Australians having a go, who should be able to keep more of what they earn.
A fair go for those who have a go, I’ve described it as. We do understand these “strivers, planners and ambitious ones,” as Sir Robert described them, that they are standing beside millions of small businesses that are propelling Australia forward and providing these jobs and they’ll continue to under the policies of our Government. But it’s at great risk under the polices of the alternative in Labor.
We are a great nation of entrepreneurs and may it always be. Under this Government, 230,000 additional small businesses have been created. In coming years, our country’s 3.3 million small and medium businesses, employing around seven million people – that’s more than half the workforce in Australia - will benefit from tax cuts that we’ve introduced and have brought forward recently by five years.
Tens of thousands of Australian businesses export overseas and they are being strengthened by export agreements with countries such as China, Japan, Korea and the 10 other nations of the Trans Pacific Partnership. As of last week, you can add Indonesia to that, with an export agreement signed by the Minsters for Trade both in Australia and Indonesia just last week. A deal that Labor are threatening even as we speak, on their hit list for their abuse of power should they ever be elected to government. Under this Government, the coverage of our trade agreements has increased from 26 per cent of our two-way trade, to nearly 70 per cent. That is transformational. That has taken place in only five and a half years.
With more jobs, more businesses and more trade, we are bringing the Budget back into balance. We have maintained our AAA credit rating under extreme international pressure and we are providing much needed tax relief to Australian households - legislated - and Australian small businesses. In addition to tax cuts for Australia’s small businesses, our Personal Tax Plan will see 94 per cent of taxpayers pay no more tax than 32.5 cents in the dollar, by 2024/25. We are abolishing an entire schedule in the tax system. There are Australians who will enter a decade under this plan, who will never face bracket creep throughout their entire working life, because of our reform to the tax system.
Now, this is not a goal that Labor shares. They have actually rejected it. They have taken a $144 billion plan and they say they will reverse, that they will abolish, they will rescind this plan if they are elected to Government. They’ll strip out $70 billion in tax relief to hard-working Australians. They don’t share our views and that’s what they will do.
Unlike the false promises of higher taxes, the prosperity of a stronger economy is what guarantees the essential services that Australians rely on. That’s what enabling us to keep our Commonwealth compact to look after each other. Labor thinks higher taxes deliver hospitals. No, it just slows your economy down so you can’t afford hospitals. Under our plan for a stronger economy, we have the highest level of hospital funding in Australia’s history.
Under our Government, our pharmaceutical benefits scheme has listed 2,000 new life-changing medicines worth over $10 billion, helping countless Australians who are facing illnesses and sicknesses of almost every kind. And it was under Labor that they didn’t list medicines, because their Budget couldn’t support it. That is the cost of the alternative set of values which drives our opponents.
Bulk billing rates are at record levels and we’ve committed to a new hospitals agreement, providing around $30 billion in additional funding over five years. Medicare has never been stronger than under this Government, quite contrary to the lies Labor told at the last election.
We’ve fully funded the National Disability Insurance Scheme, without an increase in the Medicare levy. We’ve backed in the system because we know the NDIS is all about enabling people living with disabilities, for them to realise their potential.
We are keeping our compact with future generations of Australians with $37.6 billion in additional funding for schools.
And we are supporting Australians suffering from drought and flood all around the country - I’ve met with them, I’ve walked with them and I’ve held them - with record funding and urgent action, most recently up in far north Queensland where the livestock industry has been almost literally washed away.
We are providing over $5.7 billion – and I acknowledge Michael McCormack – from day 1, as a team, $5.7 billion to help combat the unrelenting pressures of drought. That includes the $5 billion drought future fund, which we passed through the House of Representatives - and the Labor Party, amazingly, voted against - for the formation of a future drought fund.
We have kept faith with what it means to be a Commonwealth, by reforming the GST distribution system that was corroding our federation, to ensure a fair go for all States and Territories. We did what other governments hadn’t dared to do. We got in there and we fixed it.
I have said many times in recent months that this Government will keep our economy strong, keep Australians safe and keep Australians together.
The strength of Australia is in our economy, it’s in our security and it’s in our cohesion as a society well. Sir Robert understood this; the social fabric of a country matters. It’s a foundation as much as our economy and our security. It is real and we understand the role that schools, sporting clubs, environmental groups, service clubs and suburban churches play in strengthening the bonds between us all. Keeping Australians together is about the values and beliefs we hold, together as a community.
Ensuring older Australians are treated with dignity and respect and can maintain their independence and choices in retirement, including accessing the care they need – which is why I initiated the Royal Commission into Aged Care soon after becoming Prime Minister.
Raiding their savings, the savings of retirees and pensioners, through Labor’s retirees tax, defiles these principles.
Keeping Australians together is also about listening to and encouraging young Australians. Now, having a Budget under control and that won’t rack up debt in into the future, that means future generations are not saddled with maintaining our way of life, maintaining our services and dealing with our cost of living. Keeping our intergenerational compact with a cleaner environment, meeting our responsible commitments – not the reckless targets of others - but the responsible commitments to reduce our carbon emissions by 2030, without denying future generations the economic opportunities we have enjoyed. That’s really what Labor’s 45 per cent emissions target does; it steals the opportunities of future generations that we ourselves have enjoyed. How is that fair? That we have been able to enjoy our prosperity and opportunity in life, but they want to deny to future generations? This is why we have responsible targets and we’re not drawn to extremes.
Our liberalism is about strengthening the bonds between all of us and in lifting all Australians, no matter their age, their gender, their religion, class or sexuality. Our approach is not to pitch one Australian against another, to punish one in order to reward another. We do not believe one Australian has to fail for another Australian to succeed.
This is a fundamental difference between the movement that Sir Robert Menzies started in the Liberal Party and our opponents in the Labor Party - that is the politics of envy, to see one Australian fail, so another can succeed.
Our Party, the Party that Sir Robert started, is the Party of aspiration, not the Party of envy.
Our Party understands that mums and dads who are investing in property are not rorting the system, but providing for their future out of their own hard work and effort.
Labor will deny them this opportunity at the next election if given the chance. It’s another one of their envy taxes. They aren’t wealthy these Australians who are doing this, they’ve paid their own way and their investments support the supply of much-needed rental accommodation without which rents – as the Treasurer, as Josh will tell you – will only rise.
As Liberals we see a champion in every Australian, regardless of their abilities and regardless of their life’s circumstances.
By contrast, Labor sees only victims and oppressors, ensnaring Australians in a prison of want and envy, unable to see their true potential and worth.
That’s why I say under our movement, which I know is shared in the National Party, we see a champion in very single Australian regardless of what age they are, whatever level of ability they are, whatever challenges they face. There is a champion in every single Australian and it’s our job as custodians of the movement which Sir Robert started, to ensure those champions are realised.
Labor thrives on conflict, with policies designed to turn Australian against Australian. Menzies called this the class war, a false war. It’s why he warned us against those who focus on sectional interests, rather than national interests. So we aren’t about turning retirees against pensioners; or setting parents of students at state schools against those at independent schools; or Catholic schools against other schools; or small businesses against large businesses, or people from one suburb against someone from another. Unless it’s about AFL, same as the NRL I assume.
[Laughter]
Or the city against the bush, which our great partnership with the Nationals demonstrates, that this is a common project.
The class war has no place in Australia Bill Shorten, no place whatsoever and we stand here to defy that thinking, as Menzies did. It was not right in Menzies time and it is not right today. To extend, as Labor seek to do – Margaret Thatcher had that great saying about socialists; eventually, their problem is they run out of other people’s money. I’ll extend that; under this politics of envy, you run out of other people to blame. That’s what it means; Labor will run down this hole, they’ll want to blame anyone for people’s life circumstances. Our tradition is different. Our tradition begins with the personal responsibility of every single Australian. That’s where you start and when you set Australian against Australian, as Labor propose, all you do is make our country weaker.
I’d like to finish today and I appreciate your patience, by sharing my experience during my most recent annual summer break which is a wonderful time I get to spend with Jenny and the girls. We’ve been going down the south coast of New South Wales for many, many years to different places. There we were, locals, holiday-makers staying at local caravan parks, small business people from western Sydney – we were staying at a house just outside of town - members of the local surf and fishing clubs were there, as well as the rural fire service. There were professionals, kids, mums, retirees, pensioners. You find yourself at these little village communities on the coast of New South Wales, as I know you do across Victoria. There we all were, enjoying the flathead and chips at the Heads Hotel overlooking the wonderful Shoalhaven River, raising money for a whole bunch of charities and organisations. All of those people, Sir Robert called the forgotten people, I call them quiet Australians.
You won’t find them among the angry, shouty voices on the fringes, pretending to speak for all Australians. You won’t find them there, those shouty voices telling us all what we’re supposed to be angry and outraged about every single day. They haven’t got time for that. They’re too busy paying taxes, raising kids, helping with homework, running their businesses, going to work, paying power bills, caring for their parents, looking after their grandkids, putting out the soccer nets on a Saturday morning, doing their patrols for the local surf club or working at the roster at the RSF, or working at the school canteen, the list goes on. That’s what they’re busy doing. They haven’t got time for armbands and all the rest of it, trolling people on Twitter and all of that nonsense. They’re too busy creating a very strong Australia.
And you know, while confronting their own challenges in life, those I met, that wonderful group of people, they all had their challenges, but they maintain a refreshing and positive outlook on life, thankful that whatever they’re facing, they know they are ahead because they’re facing it as an Australian in Australia, which is what gives them the advantage. As I have travelled this country, not just in my role as Prime Minister but as I have in other roles, I have listened to and I’ve heard the stories of quiet Australians all around this country.
Here’s what they’ve been telling me.
They say; “We want secure jobs and to be treated fairly and with respect at work.
We want our economy to be strong.
We want our incomes to keep up with the cost of living and even better, allow us to get ahead. But we know that money doesn’t just fall from the sky and governments can’t just produce money from nowhere for people’s wages.”
They understand that the company they work for has to actually do well in order for them to do well. That’s why they work so hard, they know someone has to pay for it.”
“We get,” they say to me, “that we have to pay taxes, but you know, politicians should be keeping their spending under control and not waste money, so those taxes can be as low as possible.”
They say; “We want the services we rely on like Medicare and affordable medicines through the PBS taken care of, no excuses, full stop. That’s your job.”
They’re more than happy to pay for a welfare system. Australians are generous, but they’re not mugs. They know they need a system that looks after those who are less fortunate and they’re always quick to recognise those who are doing it tough. But welfare should never be a free ride, there’s a mutual obligation. There should rules and obligations at the end of the day, because they know the best form of welfare is a job.
They say; “We reckon small and family businesses and farmers deserve a fair go,” because they know how hard they work, the risk they take and the sacrifices they make.
“We want to take care of our environment” they say, “especially locally.” That’s where they play and live with their families. “So we’re sympathetic to the big global environmental challenges, because we owe that to our kids. But we also know the need to get the balance right.” So let’s just have a sensible plan and get on with it. “But please, can we do it without being asked to pay higher and higher and higher taxes, or shell out unaffordable taxpayer funded subsidies for the privilege?”
“Of course we want our schools and hospitals to be well-funded. That’s what the Government is supposed to do”, they say, and fair enough. But they also say; “Surely we can do this without having to raise taxes all the time to do it, that just makes it harder on all of us. Get the spending under control and make sure the economy is running well and we can have the schools we need.”
“And we’ve been around long enough,” they say, “to know that it’s not only about the money in education. Give me a good teacher for my kids over a new school hall any day of the week. We want our kids to be safe and not get bullied at school and to spend time with them as a family as often as possible. We just want to see a smile on their face.” Gold.
That said, I’m a parent, Josh is a parent, we talk about this a fair bit – we really worry about the world our kids are going to live in. It’s all much more complicated now. Of course we worry about their education, the skills they need and jobs that will be there for them, but we have all know kids and families who haven’t been able to cope - eating disorders, depression and the tragic and devastating impact this has on families - it scares the hell out of us.
“And we have nothing at all,” they say, “against migrants. We understand that migrants helped build this country. Seriously, just because we are frustrated with traffic jams or crowded trains, does not mean we want to shut the place down or insult our neighbours. Just get the migration settings right,” they say, “make sure we build the houses and roads we need and get migrants into jobs and not onto welfare.”
Sounds like a plan. That done, how good is it in Australia, that we all get along as well as we do? With so many people from so many different backgrounds, starting with our Indigenous Australians who were here first and we deeply respect.
“And we want to be kept safe. Whether it’s our kids at school or predators online, women and older Australians from the cowards who abuse them, or when we’re out and about at the beach, the local park or mall with our families, to be kept safe from terrorists.”
This is the Government’s most important job.
“We expect all those we ask to do the job of protecting us, our police and our defence forces, to get the resources they need and the respect they deserve.” That includes our veterans. Thank you for your service.
“We know,” they say, “that Australia is not perfect. But we’d rather be here than anywhere else in the world. Sure, there are things we could have done better,” we are an honest people, “but we’d rather be here than anywhere else in the world. There are things we must do better in the future, but there is no place like Australia and we want to keep it that way.”
That’s what they’ve told me. That’s what I believe, that’s what my team believes. I said it in my maiden speech to Parliament eleven years ago:
“My vision for Australia is for a nation that is strong, prosperous and generous. Strong in our values and our freedoms, strong in our family and community life, strong in our sense of nationhood and in the institutions that protect and preserve our democracy. Prosperous in our enterprise and the careful stewardship of our opportunities, our natural environment and our resources. And above all, generous in spirit, to share our good fortune with others, both at home and overseas, out of a compassionate heart and a desire for justice.” I think Sir Robert would have approved of those words.
There will be a clear choice at this election, between aspiration and envy.
Between a stronger economy with lower taxes under our Government, or a weaker one with higher taxes under Bill Shorten and Labor.
A safer Australia under the Coalition, or a nation with weak borders under Bill Shorten and Labor.
A Party that understands that the strength of our country is best found in a united people, or a Labor Party under Bill Shorten that thrives on conflict and division, setting Australians against each other.
It’s a choice between a stronger Australia and a weaker Australia.
Our Government has the record and the plans to keep our economy growing, to keep Australians secure, to keep Australians together.
To keep Australia strong, staying true to our Menzian tradition.
Thank you so much.
[Applause]
Delivering the rail links Western Sydney needs
11 March 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Cities Urban Infrastructure and Population
The Morrison and Berejiklian Governments will ensure the Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird Walton) Airport has a metro rail line in time for its opening.
The Prime Minister said his Government’s $3.5 billion rail package commitment would help bring the vision to life, alongside the commitment from the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government.
“Working together our governments are going to get this done,” the Prime Minister said.
“For years people have talked about backing the Western Sydney International Airport. For years people have promised more rail links in the western suburbs. We’re going to deliver both.
“Our plan for a stronger economy means we can make record infrastructure investments in Western Sydney unlike the Labor Party who would need to prop up their Budget with $200 billion of higher taxes on housing, retirees, incomes, electricity and small and family businesses.
“This project and the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport will drive economic growth for Western Sydney, boost jobs and housing and make it into a key hub of our city all as part of our Western Sydney City Deal.”
The rail overhaul is set to begin with the first stage of the North South Rail Link from St Marys to the Western Sydney Aerotropolis via Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. The Morrison Government’s $3.5 billion commitment kicks off with $61 million for the Elizabeth Drive Overpass, an essential piece of early enabling infrastructure to ensure the airport is rail ready. The Morrison Government is fully funding Western Sydney International Airport with $5.3 billion, and has committed $2.9 billion to the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan.
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said the construction of the rail line would bring together rail, road and airport infrastructure, all in time for the commencement of operations at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport in 2026.
“This will provide a crucial north-south rail connection for the people of Western Sydney and create a new way of travel for the community,” Minister Tudge said.
“It will contribute to the success of the airport and the businesses in the Aerotropolis in helping to bring Western Sydney to the world.”
The business case for the project is being jointly funded by the Federal and NSW governments and is expected to be delivered to the Australian and NSW governments by the end of this year.
$355 million investment secures Geelong City Deal
11 March 2019
Prime Minister, Premier of Victoria, Minister for Cities Urban Infrastructure and Population, Treasurer of Victoria
Thousands more people will spend their tourism dollars in the Geelong and Great Ocean Road regions thanks to an agreement between the Federal and State Government that unlocks the region’s visitor economy.
The $355 million Geelong City Deal is a ten-year partnership to revitalise the city and the broader regional economy.
The agreement follows a further $45 million joint investment in the Shipwreck Coast Master Plan and Revitalising Central Geelong Action Plan.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Deal will turbo-charge the economic potential of the tourism industry, boost emerging businesses and ensure Geelong remains a great place to live and visit.
“The City Deal will be a game-changer for hard-working families in Geelong and the rest of the region, by generating an extra $1.1 billion into the economy and delivering nearly 1000 jobs every year.
“This is what locals have been advocating for - infrastructure that delivers jobs and supports business.
“I am pleased to have been able to work together with Sarah Henderson and Premier Andrews to reach agreement and get this deal done.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the agreement had locked in the delivery of the 1000-seat Geelong Convention Centre.
“We’ve fought long and hard to secure the remaining funding for the Geelong City Deal since we backed it a year ago.
“The Geelong City Deal will transform Geelong and the Shipwreck Coast, creating thousands of new jobs and attracting visitors from right around the country - and we’re proud to have led the way in delivering it.”
Federal Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said he looked forward to further working with the local councils to deliver on the commitments under the City Deal.
“Today’s announcement supports the continued transformation of Geelong by leveraging the strengths of the city and the region,” Mr Tudge said.
“It means all three levels of government will continue to work together to align planning, create jobs and stimulate urban renewal.
“This will help make Geelong and the broader region an even better place to live in the future.”
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said the Convention Centre would bring $350 million to the regional economy during construction and about $50 million each year once it is operating.
“The Convention Centre will support 270 jobs, boost tourism and drive new business growth in the region,” he said.
“The Deakin University waterfront car park site is set to be transformed to a valuable asset for Geelong and all of Victoria.”
The additional funding of $45 million brings the total Federal Government contribution to the Deal to $183.8 million with the Victorian Government providing $172 million.
More information is available at https://citydeals.infrastructure.gov.au/geelong.
Press Conference with the Premier of New South Wales
11 March 2019
Prime Minister, Premier of NSW
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it’s great to be here in St Mary’s today with the Premier of course, Gladys Berejiklian and Stuart Ayres and our candidates here, Melissa and Sarah from Lindsay and Macquarie and of course we’ve got Alex Hawke here as well here in Western Sydney, out in Mitchell. The Western Sydney International Nancy Bird Walton Airport is a complete game-changer for Sydney, for New South Wales and for our country. This is something both the Premier and I have shared as a vision for many, many years. To see this project coming together now - just a week ago we were out naming the Airport, last year we were there turning the first sod at the Airport – to see it now become a reality after a generation and more of waiting, I think it’s an exciting time for Sydney. It’s an exciting time for our state and for our country.
These are the projects, these are the initiatives, this is the vision that builds the future of our country. I’m pleased to be here today with the Premier to say that as part of the announcement that was made yesterday, a $7 billion project to develop the North South Link and the works on the Airport to make sure that the Airport is rail ready at the time of it’s opening, the Commonwealth will be investing $3.5 billion in that project.
That $3.5 billion is made up of essentially three components. There is the further feasibility works that are being done over the balance of this year. There is the construction works being done, together with the State Government – that’s what we’re going to see more of - the construction works being done on two components and that's the New South Wales Stage 1 Link which centers right here in St Marys and secondly on the on-site work that is being done on the airport itself. Then, there is the Elizabeth Drive overpass as well, with some $61 million.
So this is a true partnership between the State and the Federal Government to make this project happen. I'm working with premiers right across the country to deliver important projects, whether it's here today where we have such a strong partnership to make these things happen here in New South Wales, or it's in Victoria, Western Australia or anywhere else in the country. Today, we were able to announce that we were concluding the Geelong City Deal with Premier Andrews and so we're signing that and here we are with the New South Wales Premier achieving what we need to achieve here. So thank you very much, Gladys. This has been a great team effort and I want to congratulate you for your launch yesterday. The visionary outlook you have for our State and the great team you’re taking forward, we could not be more pleased to be backing you and your team in, making your economy strong. Because when you make your economy strong, this is what you can do.
THE HON GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN MP, PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES: Great, thank you PM. I want to thank the PM for confirming the $3.5 billion for this much-needed project. This is fantastic news for Western Sydney.
When I'm looking at the big picture, yes this is fantastic for New South Wales, but it’s also great for the nation. This is a nation-building project and the airport city that we are building around the Airport is going to be a game-changer for attracting jobs of the future, the research and development of the future and of course, being able to access that precinct with a rail line is just a complete game-changer.
I was very pleased to announce yesterday that the State Government will be contributing $2 billion towards this project over what we call the forwards, over the next three to four years and of course the balance of that money to make sure the first stage is completed by 2026 when the Airport is open. We always welcome extra funds, but we’re a Government that gets on with the job of delivering and only in May, we will see the people use the North West rail line for the first time, a metro rail system. Then, that will then offer a connection to this rail line and I'm really excited by that prospect, because what it means for Western Sydney is connection to jobs, connection to great universities, connection to the Airport obviously, but a complete game-changer for our state and I also believe for the nation.
THE HON STUART AYRES MP, MINISTER FOR WESTERN SYDNEY: This project completely changes the face of outer Western Sydney. It is the rail line that the outer Western Sydney community needs and has been demanding. Both the State and Commonwealth Governments are investing billions of dollars to bring jobs closer to where people live and it’s absolutely critical that they can access public transport to get to the locations where those jobs are. This is a game-changer for this community. It’s about making sure they have got the infrastructure they need to drive the economic prosperity and social opportunities that are needed here in Western Sydney. But also, it’s pumping the national economy. This is the stuff that really moves the dial and it brings jobs closer to where people live and really leverages the major, long-term decisions about an airport and this really makes sure that people understand it's not just an airport, it is actually about creating jobs closer to where people live.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Stuart. Well as Gladys said yesterday, let's get it done.
PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES: Absolutely.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s what we’re doing in New South Wales and the important thing about our governments is, we are getting it done together. The partnership that we have together is getting things done here in New South Wales, with Liberal-led Governments at state and federal level and we look forward to doing that into future. Happy to take questions obviously on the project and then we can move to other things.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, when do you plan to get it done?
PRIME MINISTER: This will be ready at the time of the Airport being opened. So that's in a few years’ time in 2026 and that's the project. That's the project, that's what we've been working towards. We've already had site works happening already on Western Sydney International Airport, you've seen that. So it’s all underway and it’s all coming together and this is a critical component of the project.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister getting it done the way you want to requires both your governments being reelected. You've just lost the 50th Newspoll in a row, what are your thoughts?
PRIME MINISTER: We've got the plan and we've got the record of delivery. You know what, one of the things you do when you lead a government - and Gladys knows this very well - is you're never distracted by the noise. You just focus on the work you're doing for the people you work for. Which in Gladys' case is the people of New South Wales and for me, it’s all Australians. These projects are changing the lives and will change the lives of Australians for the better, in the future. So our plan is clear, our joint plans are clear and they will deliver for the people of Western Sydney, for New South Wales and Australia. So I just always remain focused on the job I've got and I never get distracted by the things at the fringes or the noise.
JOURNALIST: I guess it’s a question for both of you, with the polls where they are, what do you think it means for both of your campaigns, is the Liberal brand damaging your campaign at a state level and are you trying to perhaps, get a glow from the [inaudible]?
PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES: I think it's fair to say that each of us are working hard in our own jurisdictions. My job as the Premier of New South Wales is working my guts out for our 8 million citizens, and of course the Prime Minister is focusing on the nation. That's what we’re elected to do and that's what we continue to do.
PRIME MINISTER: Australians, I think, are very sensible. Australians at the end of the day will make a judgement in a couple of weeks' time about what’s right for New South Wales and they will see the track record of the New South Wales Government has delivered on the ground and importantly, as we heard yesterday, services for the future. Our Government is following the same path.
We have cleaned up the mess that Labor left behind, just as the State Government had to clean up the mess that Labor left behind.
We will hand down the first surplus Budget on the 2nd of April, in 12 years.
We have got employment levels back in this country, to levels higher than were achieved by the Howard Government, after they fell under the Labor Government.
We've been rebuilding from the losses and the waste and the mismanagement of Labor years. Now, as is the case in New South Wales, they’re are in a position to re-invest in those services and that's what a strong economy is all about. It’s about giving yourself the capacity to invest in the health and the education services - which is exactly what Gladys announced yesterday with some incredibly exciting projects. That’s what you can do when you have a strong economy.
Under Labor, the economy will be weaker. Wages can't grow in an economy that is weaker and taxes are higher. So I think Australians will weigh that up in the weeks ahead and there’s plenty of time between now and the election to do that.
JOURNALIST: But that's clearly not cutting through, why is your government so unpopular?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, there have been plenty of distractions over the last couple of weeks, I don't deny that, but they haven't distracted me. I’ve just remained very focused on our agenda for the future, which is to keep our economy strong, to keep Australians safe and to bring Australians together. I believe that’s what Australians want to see for their future and that's what I remain focused on. I’ll be focused on it every day, every day, undistracted from here to the election. Because Australians know that I don't get distracted by the noise and I will remain absolutely focused on what matters most to them.
JOURNALIST: Would you like to see Barnaby Joyce as the Leader of the National Party?
PRIME MINISTER: We have a fantastic leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and there will be no change to that.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned about that being a distraction [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: As I said, I don’t get distracted.
JOURNALIST: What about the idea of a leadership spill, surely that’s the last thing [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: I think that’s all nonsense.
JOURNALIST: But what about [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: I think that’s all nonsense, I think we have the Deputy Prime Minister in Michael McCormack. I mean this is what Michael and I have been focused on, this is what matters to people; Michael and I have been focused on the drought, as Gladys has been focused on the drought. That's what people in rural and regional areas are interested in at the moment, the drought. Rebuilding the livestock industry in North Queensland, that's where our focus has been. That's what we're 100 per cent focused on and I believe that is what people - whether it's in North Queensland, Central Queensland, outer Western New South Wales, Gippsland in Victoria where I was recently with drought-affected farmers down in that part of the State - they're interested in that. That's what I'm interested in and that's what we will continue to focus on and I know that's what Michael is focused on. So that's where we will be every single day.
Australians will see that and they will have a clear choice, a very clear choice; a Morrison-led Liberal and National Government at a federal level or a Bill Shorten-led Labor government. Here it’s the same; a Gladys Berejiklian-led Liberal Government here in New South Wales, or a Daley-led Labor government in New South Wales. These are very clear choices for the people to make in New South Wales and at a national level. We are very confident about the plans we’re putting forward and the judgement of Australians to make the right choice.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister just on energy, when will we find out whether there will be new coal-fired generation [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, we have a process we're working through, but what I know is this; for such a project to proceed, it would require the approval of the Queensland State Government. Now, the Queensland State Government has no intention of approving any such projects at all. So I tend to work in the area of the practical, the things that actually can happen. What actually can happen is the investments that we’re making in renewable projects and reliable projects - which have been the Snowy
2.0 project which I mentioned yesterday as well as the Marinus Link project in Tasmania, which connects up to the pumped hydro projects in Tasmania - because these things actually will happen, actually can happen.
See, governments have to focus on what they will actually do and can actually deliver and that's what I'm focused on, not in hypothetical debates. I'm focused on things that we can actually do to keep the pressure downward on power prices and ensure that we deliver the reliable and sustainable and renewable energy for the future. That's what our Government is putting forward.
Thanks very much. Great to be here.
Doorstop, Scarborough WA
9 March 2019
VINCE CONNELLY, LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR STIRLING: Good morning and welcome to Scarborough Beach. It's fantastic to be here with the Prime Minister also with Liberal candidate for Cowan Isaac Stewart. We're here in Scarborough right in the heart of Stirling, we’re at the state Surf Lifesaving Championships. My own children are members of the club here in Scarborough and I look forward to some of the action of today. Over to you, welcome PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Thank you very much Vince, it's great to be here with you and with Isaac. And it's great to be having such strong candidates here running here in WA. We'll be selecting another one tomorrow, another great candidate I am sure will come out of that process and Vince, particularly your veterans status and your service. We thank you for that and the opportunity to seek to have another veteran to come into the Parliament here I think you will be tremendous. And Isaac, the work you've done in the community. We're out there the other day at Wanneroo and that was really exciting to see that the great support that you will be able to bring together in the multicultural communities of Western Australia.
Well it's been an exciting few days here in WA, in Perth. I love coming to WA, I always have for decades. It's a place I feel very at home at because of the values and the culture of self-reliance but supporting those around you, giving people a hand up not a handout. This is the culture of Western Australia, that pioneering state and that's why I'm always pleased to be here. And just to reaffirm the values that made this state as strong as it is and we've got the people here in Western Australia who've been representing the Liberal Party and into the future as well to continue to champion all of these values.
So over the course of the week whether it was out at Henderson, we were all observing the work of some $900 million being invested in keeping our frigates up to speed, up to standard, $1.5 billion being invested in the infrastructure and supporting our naval shipbuilding industry there, creating intergenerational jobs. But I've got to tell you, the highlight for the week for me was not just also going out to Campbell and to the SAS regiment there and meeting with the brave men and women whose serve us in uniform as Vince has. I've got to say the Esther Foundation completely, completely captured my heart this week. This is an organisation that is transforming women's lives at the most practical level by ensuring that they understand something that can never be taken away from any woman and that is their unique value. Their unique worth. And the Esther Foundation, which we were pleased to invest $4 million to support that organisation over the next seven years will continue to do tremendous work. And I thank Ken Wyatt for the great job he's done in supporting that organisation.
But also to be out there with Steve Irons and Andrew Hastie announcing congestion-busting projects here in Perth and in the surrounding areas. Up there with Christian Porter the other night at the Hen which was a great night so I can only commend you if you're up that way, pop into the Hen it's a great business which has been established in recent years. All of this tells about the heart and the soul and the drive and entrepreneurial spirit of the Western Australian people. So it's been tremendous to be here. They're the values that the Liberal Party stands for. They are so aligned with the spirit and drive of Western Australia. You couldn't get two things more closely aligned and so we thank the people of Western Australia, I do, for the way that they continue to stand up for those values. And I've got to tell you, they're on display up there today at the WA State Championships for surf lifesaving. I come from a part of Sydney which has got four great surf clubs and the great thing about them is they teach not just the competitive elements of sport and keeping healthy and fit, but there's the element of service. A service culture which is breathed right throughout the surf lifesaving movement and any opportunity I have to acknowledge that I will take it and support it in any way my Government can.
So thanks for the opportunity to be here over course the week. Looking forward to meeting with the State Council later this morning and having a bit more to say to them. And this is the way we make Australia stronger, by honouring the values and spirit of what is alive and well here in Western Australia.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, when will you be coming back to WA?
PRIME MINISTER: In the not too distant future, I can assure you. Try, you can't keep me away from the place. You really can't. And that's because I believe in what WA is doing. I always have. That's why I took the stand I did on the GST. Because you know, Western Australians aren't looking to succeed at someone else's expense. Western Australians have always sought to succeed in their own right. And that's why I did what I did on the GST, because Western Australians were getting held back. And Australia can't be stronger if Western Australians are getting held back. No part of Australia can be stronger, Australia can never be stronger if we're going to try and hold some Australians back, hold some down under the pretence that you're trying to help someone else. I want to see and continue to see Australia where we allow all of our industries to go forward, all Australians to go forward.
JOURNALIST: Will the Government be announcing further personal income tax cuts before the election?
PRIME MINISTER: Our government, and both as Treasurer and as Prime Minister, I've always championed personal income tax reductions. Reductions in income tax for businesses, particularly small and family businesses. And I'll tell you why. I want Australians to earn more. And I want Australians to keep more of what they earn. That's the difference between me and Bill Shorten. I want Australians to keep more of what they earn and I want them to be in a stronger economy where they can earn more. And what Bill Shorten said in the last couple of days, basically putting further burdens on the small and family businesses that employ countless number of Australians and effectively making them choose who will stay and who will get to go under the sort of industrial relations policies that the Labor Party is supporting at the behest of the unions. I mean, the problem I have with how Bill Shorten deals with the unions is not his strength, it's his weakness. See, when you're weak as he is in the face of the unions, that's when the unions completely take charge. I respected Bob Hawke as a Labor leader and I respected him as someone who led a union movement because he was in charge of it. And he would take responsibility for it. He deregistered the BLF. He took strong positions on militant unions. Bill Shorten hands out life memberships to militant unions and takes their money in the form of the CFMMEU. I mean, he takes that thug money from militant unions every single election. So Bill Shorten cannot stand up to the unions, just like he cannot stand up to people smugglers and he cannot be able to stand up to those who would form part of his government that allow spending to be rampant, which means taxes on Australians can only increase. Whether on retirees or on smaller family businesses and those investing for their future on investing in their superannuation. I want Australians to keep more of what they earn. Bill Shorten wants to take more from Australians from what they earn.
JOURNALIST: You say you want them to keep more, but does that mean you’re considering further tax cuts to what you’ve already announced?
PRIME MINISTER: My record on income tax is plain for everyone to see. Every opportunity I have to reduce the tax burden on Australians, I take it.
JOURNALIST: Will any many major budget cuts be needed to deliver the surplus?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: Why is David Coleman reversing his Department's ban on Milo Yiannopoulos coming to Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: There's a process that has followed in relation to character issues regarding people who wish to come to Australia and the Minister has been following that normal process. There have been decisions taken to date by the Department and it is open to the Minister to play a role in that process where he believes that it is necessary to do so. So we've just been simply following that process. Free speech is important in Australia. But people have to be responsible for what they say. Free speech is actually for Australian citizens by the way. And I think anyone who comes to Australia should show respect for all Australians. And I would certainly hope that anybody who's come here would show that respect from whatever country you come from, if you come to Australia you come as a visitor. I mean this is one of the reasons why my Government - and I started the process as Immigration Minister - if you come here on a visa and if you commit a crime, you'll go to jail. And after you've got out of jail, you'll go home. Now we've done that on over 4,000 occasions of people who have violated the generosity of Australians in allowing them to come and visit our country. Now our tourism industry is one of our greatest employers and we want to see that continue to thrive and grow as it is. But when people come to our country, we expect them to respect Australia and Australians, our values, our multicultural society. And so on that issue, this is just the normal process following through. The Minister has allowed that process to go to this point and he will make a decision on this issue shortly. And I think that will just be the normal working of that process.
JOURNALIST: Do you stand by your comments about women yesterday?
PRIME MINISTER: I want all Australians to support the advancement of women. That's what I was saying yesterday. I want all Australians to support the advancement of women. And that's why I want to see an agenda that supports women like our $328 million investment to combat domestic violence in Australia. That's a cause every Australian, men and women, must get behind. I'm just simply saying that I want to see this agenda pursued with Australians working together to achieve it, with men championing it as much as women championing it. Because that's my experience. As a father of two daughters, I have three wonderful women in my life with Jen and my two girls and I'm a champion for women for them out of direct self-interest, I’ve got to say, but for all women across the country. And so what I was saying yesterday was I don't want to see this agenda pursued by setting women against men, no. Australian against Australian, no. I want to bring all Australians together to focus on this. That's what my meaning was yesterday. And that's what I'm fair dinkum about. I want to see all Australians promote the advancement and wellbeing of women in this country together, not apart. Thanks very much.
Doorstop, Hazelmere WA
8 March 2019
THE HON STEVE IRONS MP, MEMBER FOR SWAN: Well good morning everyone, we’re down in Swan in my electorate and it’s great to have my West Australian colleagues here along with the Prime Minister of Australia. And it’s always good to have him in Swan, particularly when he is announcing congestion busting funding, particularly for the area you will see behind here is Abernathy Road - just a bit of a compliment there. Anyway, it’s great to have him here with my colleagues and for him to do this announcement. So I’d like to welcome to the microphone, Scott where are you? Come forward and tell us about this great congestion busting funding.
PRIME MINISTER: Well thanks very much Steve. It’s great to be here in Western Australia today, as I have been for the last couple of days and to be announcing our congestion-busting package here in and around Perth. Some $95 million, just slightly over that, to focus on some key projects. Now, our congestion-busting fund is all about ensuring that Australians can get home sooner, safer. They can get to work sooner, safer. Those who are working out on our roads every day, tradies and others, spend more time on site than they do sitting in traffic jams. It is also about understanding and planning for the future. Andrew Hastie is here today. One of the projects we’re announcing is a new train station down his way, is about ensuring a new growth area is getting the link-up to the rail network which is incredibly important.
So all of these projects that we’ve been announcing around the country are about responding to the pressures of population growth across our cities all across the country. But they've all been identified quite strategically and surgically by our local Members. Our local Members understand the projects that need to be addressed, whether it's the traffic hot-spots, the unsafe intersection, the need for the right turn lane here or the widenings of roads which we're talking about particularly here today. That's what the project is designed to do. And those needs are as important here in Perth as they are in any other part of the country, where we have seen new development and opportunities that have to be seized by putting this infrastructure in place. The four projects we’re announcing today is the $50 million to rollout the next section of the widening of the Kwinana and Mitchell freeways, $20 million towards extending Lloyd Street in Hazelmere to ease congestion caused by limited freight access, I was out there with Ken the other day and seeing that project firsthand. Here in Steve's electorate in Swan we’ve got $13.25 million to upgrade a three kilometre stretch on Abernathy Road. Further down south from here as I said with Andrew we’ve got $10 million towards construction of the Lakelands Station on the Mandurah rail line and there's $2.5 million to bust congestion at the Shorehaven Boulevard/Marmion Avenue intersection at Alkimos to improve peak traffic times.
Now these are all very practical projects that will make a very real difference, partnering together with the state government. I’m meeting with the Premier later today to discuss a number of issues and I’m sure this will be one. But I’ll tell you, one of the things it will enable the state government to help support these projects and we're happy to be involved in these projects in our announcements today is $1.3 billion in extra revenue will be coming to the state of Western Australia next year alone because of the GST fairness deal I was able to land as Treasurer, legislate as Prime Minister and now ensure is honoured with the cheques turning up to make sure the state government is in a position which they’ve never been in before as a state government to be assured of the fair GST share that enables them to invest in the services and projects that are critically important to the future of Western Australia.
The other thing I wanted to mention today is that we're investing up to just under $100 million here and we're investing over a billion dollars in this initiative all around the country. Our priorities are about busting congestion, growing our economy, defending Australia through building our defence capability. I was out at Henderson earlier this week driving our economy forward with lower taxes. These are our priorities.
It is International Women's Day today. Earlier this week I announced just over $320 million in the biggest-ever plan, the Fourth National Action Plan to combat domestic violence. And so these are our priorities as the Government. It was revealed today the Labor Party wants to actually increase the refugee and humanitarian intake that will cost Australians $6.2 billion over the next 10 years. So they're going to tax retirees, they’re going to tax retirees through their retirees tax to pay for increased refugee intake in Australia. Now, we have a very credible and very worthy program for refugee and humanitarian intake here in Australia, over 18,000 we take every single year. Since we were first elected to Government, more than 7,000 women and children that have come under the Women At Risk Program that we were able to expand because we were able to get our borders under control. So we have a credible and reputable program here in welcoming people through the front door. But when it comes to setting priorities, we're not going to increase that intake because we want to invest those funds in projects like the one we're seeing here to ensure that we continue our record health and education spending and we're certainly not going to tax Australians higher through things like the retiree tax which is basically from robbing senior Australians, their hard-earned investment and what they've provided for in their retirement so they wouldn't have to lean on other Australians at that time. So I’m going to hand over to Mathias, his Department has costed that initiative in particular, but to make further comment.
SENATOR THE HON MATHIAS CORMANN, MINISTER FOR FINANCE AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE: Thank you very much Prime Minister. It is great to have the Prime Minister here in Western Australia, making this announcement today. This announcement of $100 million towards further congestion-busting infrastructure here across Perth builds on about $4 billion worth of Federal infrastructure investments that we have made here into Western Australia over the last two years. Including $2.3 billion in federal funding to support the rollout of the METRONET project here across Perth. It is also particularly good to have Scott Morrison here in Western Australia as our Prime Minister because Scott Morrison is and was the architect of the GST fix for WA. He is the architect of a plan that has delivered and will continue to deliver a fairer and better share of GST revenue here into Western Australia, which will make a positive difference to the people and the families here in Western Australia for many, many years to come.
In relation to the Labor policy to further increase what is already a very generous refugee intake here in Australia. Australia on a per capita basis, has the second most generous level of refugee intake anywhere in the world, only second to Canada. Bill Shorten's decision to increase that further by taking the Government-funded places from 17,750 to 27,000 will cost about $6.2 billion over the decade from 2019-20. Do not be fooled by any suggestions that somehow the costs will be half. In making that false assertion, Labor is relying on costings that are three years old, when only one year over a four-year estimates period was actually part of that particular initiative, when the full four years of that particular proposal would now hit the Budget bottom line and another three years of that particular proposal would hit our medium term costings. $6.2 billion in higher expenditure to boost what is already a very generous refugee intake into Australia. But at the same time, Bill Shorten is standing in the way of a $3.9 billion Drought Future Fund, designed to help drought-stricken communities across Australia drought-proof their communities. Bill Shorten’s priorities are wrong. He should change his particular approach to this. He should get out of the way when it comes to legislating the Drought Future Fund and he should reconsider all his other high spending and high taxing proposals as well.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Mathias. Now Andrew, come and tell us about your station. I mean, I know we're a bit out of Canning today. But this is part of the congestion-busting project and your electorate has been one of those really fast-growing areas of Western Australia. A lot of families, a lot of communities. Tell me what the new station will mean?
ANDREW HASTIE MP, MEMBER FOR CANNING: So it's 10 million for the Lakelands Train Station. As you know, my seat is outer metro/regional. You’ve got a heart for those seats. and high growth, a lot of congestion, a lot of seniors living in the Lakelands catchment and surrounds, a lot of working families. So this will mean that people can walk to the station, get on a train, and head up to the city. So economic and social mobility means they don’t have to drive south to Mandurah to then go north to the city and it’s a big life-changer for a lot of young people in my electorate, so thank you, PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Well it is basic infrastructure for what a growing city needs and Perth is a growing city and it’s got a huge future, a big future. Happy to take questions on congestion-busting then we can move to any other topics you would like to cover.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you were a little late to the press conference this morning, did you get a small taste of Perth congestion?
PRIME MINISTER: I thought I was pretty close to time, to be honest but, anyway, thanks for noticing. It's… look, Perth has been a growing city for a long time. I've been coming here for decades. I've seen its rapid transformation, I’ve seen its great prosperity, I’ve seen it going through more difficult times recently on the other side of the mining investment boom. But the thing I love about Western Australia is you're always about wanting to grow more, you’re always wanting to seize those opportunities. And what we’re here to do today is back in that culture, that attitude here in Western Australia. I don't want to see Western Australians held back by not having a train station or not having a widened road or not having the GST, which is their fair share. That's why, I think, Western Australians can trust me as a Prime Minister because they've put me to the test on these issues and I've been able to deliver. I think that shows good faith for a pro-growth, pro-infrastructure plan for the development of Western Australia, in particular, Perth's future.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister just on a different issue, the WA EPA has made a decision that all major projects here are to be carbon neutral. Can we get your reaction to that and should the McGowan government have nipped this in the bud before it was even announced?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it has been let to run a little while, I certainly acknowledge. I understand the Premier has made some comments about that today. I'm sure, having heard Paul Everingham today from the Mines and Energy Chamber, looking for greater certainty on that issue. But I’ll tell you what I'm more worried about - this is actually what Bill Shorten wants to do across the entire country. Mark McGowan may well see sense on this issue but I can assure you that Bill Shorten won't. What Bill Shorten is seeking to do with his own environmental agency is to writ large what the threat has been here with these types of changes that have been mooted in the last few days. And they want to wed it up to a 45 per cent emissions reduction target which will see wage earners in this country over the next 10 years stand to lose every single year $9,000 a year. So I don’t understand how Bill Shorten can on one hand say he wants to improve people’s wages and then on the other hand, he’s got an emissions reductions target which will rip $9,000 out of their pockets based on the independent assessments that has been done on his emissions reduction target. So what we see from Labor is they never learn. They said they weren’t going to introduce tax but did. And it took our Government, upon election, as we promised, to get rid of it.
Bill Shorten has now got carbon taxes on steroids awaiting the Australian people. To go with the retirees' tax, the housing taxes, the taxes on savings on your superannuation, your taxes on small businesses, and now we have the even bizarre situation where he wants to take Australia's workplace and industrial relations system back to a time of conflict and division. You know, we don't become a more prosperous people, you don't grow a stronger economy by setting Australians against each other in the workplace. And the union movement are laying the markers, they are laying the ground to tell Bill Shorten what he must do if he were to become Prime Minister. We’ve already seen he's a complete pushover when it comes to border protection policy. So you can only understand what he would do in the face of union pressure in he were to be Prime Minister. It would not be good for jobs. Small and family businesses would have to be deciding who to let go under a Shorten Government. That is not good for anybody's wage when you lose the whole thing.
JOURNALIST: Is Malcolm Turnbull right? Is he more popular than you and should the Party have dumped him?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll leave the history to the historians and those who like to talk about history because I'm interested in the future of Australia. What we've been doing as a Government for the last five and a half years is building that stronger economy to guarantee the essential services Australians rely on. We've been investing in making Australia a safer country, safer not just on our borders, safer not just by the biggest recapitalisation of our defence forces since the Second World War, safer for women as we've invested the biggest package on combating domestic violence in the country, safer for young kids online and safer from bullying investments that we've been making. We have a plan to continue this all into the future. Stronger, safer, together - Australia will be a more prosperous country. That's good for all Australians. So that's where we're heading. I'll let the historians squabble over the past.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: I can't quite hear you?
JOURNALIST: You indicated earlier this week that you expected the Christmas Island detention centre to be operating at a fairly high capacity for several years. In four years’ time, the people who are there will have been in detention for 10 years in total. Is that acceptable and what is the long-term plan for this project?
PRIME MINISTER: The estimates we've got for the reopening of Christmas Island are based on the worst-case scenario of how many people we might see come there. As you know, the advice that was given to us is by making it really clear that people who might be seeking to take advantage of Labor's weakening of the border protection regime through Shorten's law on undermining regional processing, that making it very clear if you seek to game that system and use the loopholes, you won't be coming to mainland Australia. You'll be seeing the inside of a hardened detention facility on Christmas Island. Now I suspect that will have some impact on dissuading those who want to game the system from seeking to game the system. And I certainly hope that’s the outcome and that’s the meaning behind what I’ve said. That I would hope to see the centre doesn't get that sort of patronage. But if it did, then it's able to deal with that. If people are seeking to game the system and then not return to where they should return to after they've received any assessment that is deemed necessary, well, they'll remain there by their own choice.
JOURNALIST: Back to Malcolm Turnbull's comments, are they helpful this close to the election?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm not really distracted by them at all. See, I'm focused on what I need to do for the future of the country. I don't get distracted by all the bubble noise on these things. I know others do. I know it's terribly interesting to all of those who write inside the bubble. Australians don't live in the bubble. Australians live out here where you want your roads upgrades, where you want jobs, where you want to ensure small and family businesses have a future. These are the things that are outside the bubble. I'll leave what belongs in the bubble, in the bubble.
JOURNALIST: The EPA says it felt that it had to intervene, the EPA said it felt it had to intervene because the Federal Government had failed to do what it called ‘the heavy lifting’ on climate policy. Is that fair?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I think that completely rubbish. I mean, we will meet our carbon abatement targets for 2030 as we have set out in our plan and the commitments that we've made. I've actually set it out from today all the way to 2030. Whether it's the Climate Solutions Fund, whether it’s Snowy 2.0, whether it’s the energy efficiency measures, the Battery of the Nation, Marinus Link, the technology improvements. I can give you a tonne by tonne description of how we meet our 26 per cent emissions reductions targets. The question I have for Bill Shorten is it's been almost two weeks and he has still not done the same. So the question to Bill Shorten is: How do you achieve your 45 per cent emissions reductions targets? What are the measures? What are the impacts on the industries? How many aluminium smelters are going to be closed down, whether it's in Victoria or North Queensland? What is going to happen to our major power stations? Are they going to be shutdown? See, I've been transparent with Australians about our climate policy. They know exactly what our targets are and exactly how we’re going to meet them. Bill Shorten has answered none of these questions. He has a 45 per cent emissions reduction target. On best case for him that means he needs to abate more than three times the amounts of carbon emissions than under our policy. So how are you going to do it Bill? Who are you lying to? The industries you’re going to close? Or those who may support that sort of a target and you’re never going to meet it. He can't be trusted whether it's on the GST or on the climate.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, remind us who signed Australia up to the Paris Agreement?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the original target was set under the Abbott Government and it was signed under the Turnbull Government.
JOURNALIST: So Mr Abbott has backtracked on that issue, he says that we don’t need to withdraw from Paris Climate because there is a new Prime Minister. So can we trust politicians when they change their minds so often?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, our policy hasn't changed. Our policy has been exactly the same since we came to Government. It hasn't changed at all. As Prime Minister, I have continued the policy of the 26 per cent emissions reduction target. I sat in the Cabinet that set it. I sat in the Cabinet that signed it. And as Prime Minister, I have the plan to achieve it.
JOURNALIST: Just on industrial relations, the ACTU is planning an anti-Coalition day of protest next month. What do you say about that and do you think it’s time for business to campaign in this upcoming election campaign, to add their voice to this debate?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll leave that to them. What I know is the union movement under Sally McManus - who has no respect for the rule of law in this country - that's not my accusation. That's her own confession. She is now taking Australia to a conflict footing that we have not seen in this country for decades, for absolute decades. Now, I don't think you make Australia stronger by the type of militant conflict-based approaches of a union movement that has been emboldened by the weakness of Bill Shorten. When Bob Hawke was the Prime Minister, when he was the leader of the Labor Party, he could largely control the unions. The unions will run Bill Shorten. Bob Hawke ran the unions but the unions will run Bill Shorten. And they're marking out their ground, and they’re rolling up their sleeves, and they’ve got all their shouts and slogans all ready to go and they'll be marking it out for a period of industrial conflict in this country. Bill Shorten will roll over just like he did on our borders. That's a great threat to Australians' jobs, to the future prosperity of Australia, and to the services that they rely on, whether it's Medicare, hospitals or schools that depend on the strength of the economy. Never forget, it was the Labor Party that could not list affordable medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme because they couldn't manage money.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: I couldn't hear, Michael?
JOURNALIST: During your visit here, you mentioned the 2007 election a few times when Western Australians largely bucked the trend and...
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they absolutely bucked the trend. Steve was elected in the 2007 election and two seats were won here in Australia. So we actually took seats off the Labor Party in 2007.
JOURNALIST: No, one.
PRIME MINISTER: No, it was two actually. It was Cowan and Swan.
JOURNALIST: I stand corrected. Anyway, the point being, are you banking on a similar sentiment this time around?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm backing Western Australians to be themselves. Western Australians are passionate about their opportunities and their future. They're not going to back $200 billion in taxes that will put lead in the saddlebags of their economy. They're not going to back Bill Shorten wanting to take the savings and incomes of retirees in this country to pay for an increased refugee take well above what is necessary in this country. Taxing retirees to take more refugees. That's Bill Shorten's policy. I think that tells you everything you want to know about his priorities. Western Australians want to see their state go ahead. Western Australians don't want to be held back. Under me, as Prime Minister, with my great Western Australian team, they are not being held back. They are being released. They've got their fair share of GST. We're investing in the infrastructure. We are building the ships that are supporting their naval industry here out at Henderson. We are driving their economy forward. We are expanding export deals which open up the opportunities for Western Australian businesses, particularly the mining and resources industry - an industry that Labor has previously tried to shut down with their higher taxes and now they want to shut down with their reckless emission reduction targets. So I'm backing Western Australians to be themselves and support the leadership they've come to expect from me and my Western Australian colleagues. Thanks very much.
Busting congestion across Perth
8 March 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Cities Urban Infrastructure and Population
The Morrison Government will be getting the people of Perth home sooner and safer with a $96 million congestion-busting package that will transform parts of the city.
The infrastructure overhaul includes upgrading three road bottlenecks at Hazelmere, Alkimos and Kewdale; further widening of the Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways and Smart Freeway infrastructure; and funding toward construction of a train station at Lakelands on the Mandurah Line.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the important thing was that people were spending less time on the road and more time with their loved ones.
“That is why we are investing in public transport infrastructure and removing pinch points and bottlenecks will make a real difference to the lives of people living in fast-growing suburbs,” the Prime Minister said.
”This will help families and businesses get back valuable time.”
The projects are funded through the Liberal and Nationals Government’s $1 billion Urban Congestion Fund and includes:
$20 million toward extending Lloyd Street in Hazelmere to ease congestion caused by limited freight access to the industrial areas of Hazelmere and Midlands.
$13.25 toward upgrading a three-kilometre stretch of Abernethy Road to tackle congestion caused by population growth and more heavy vehicles servicing nearby industrial areas in Kewdale.
$10 million toward construction of Lakelands Station on the Mandurah Rail Line, filling a 23-kilometre gap in the urban rail network in order to ease pressure on the city’s roads.
$2.5 million to bust congestion at the Shorehaven Boulevard/Marmion Avenue intersection at Alkimos, improving peak-period travel times and safety for Perth’s growing northern suburbs.
$50 million to roll out the next section of widening of the Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways and to implement Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to monitor and control traffic flows.
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said congestion was a growing problem across Perth and the Morrison Government’s Urban Congestion Fund would deliver a solution.
“The Urban Congestion Fund is designed to eliminate congestion issues where they are hurting the most – not only the major freeways but the local pinch points which can provide daily headaches to commuters,” Minister Tudge said.
The funding injection builds on the Government’s $11.2 billion commitment between 2013–14 and 2027–28 toward transport projects across Western Australia.
This includes $2.3 billion for METRONET projects, a $944 million investment in the Perth Congestion Package, and $560 million toward Stage 2 and 3 of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.
Minister Tudge said the investment in the Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways would build on the Government’s existing commitment to widen and implement ITS on the Kwinana Freeway between Canning Highway and Narrows Bridge, which is currently underway.
“These investments are about managing the flow of vehicles onto, through and out of the freeway corridors to maximise the network’s performance,” Minister Tudge said.
Other key projects supported by the Morrison Government include various METRONET projects, upgrading the Tonkin Highway, extending the Mitchell Freeway and widening the Kwinana Freeway.
Delivering a brighter future for young women
8 March 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Health, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care, Minister for Indigenous Health
The Morrison Government will provide $4 million to the Esther Foundation for its life-changing work helping young women build themselves brighter futures.
The investment will give the Foundation funding security for seven years and also support the operation of an additional 20 beds at its Gooseberry Hill centre, in Western Australia.
The Esther Foundation plays a critical role, currently assisting approximately 120 women in crisis each year- and up to 20 children- through its comprehensive, fully residential program.
At present, up to 70 participants can be accommodated at a time, with the Foundation’s reputation for changing lives for the better attracting young women from across WA and interstate.
They are helped to tackle mental health issues, depression and self-harm, eating disorders and addictions and are also supported through family breakdowns and to escape from abuse and domestic violence.
The Foundation has assisted some participants with bail to leave prison, while others have come from hospitals where they have been dealing with mental health challenges.
Programs include life skills education, creative arts, education and internships, legal support, group and private counselling, family reunification, and sport and recreation.
The Foundation also operates the popular Esther Café and boutique recycled clothing shop in the nearby centre of Kalamunda, which provides training and job opportunities for program participants.
The Foundation provides a springboard for future success, offering security, housing and support, along with pathways to employment and independence.
Our Government is proud to support the Foundation’s ongoing work and expansion, with its success built on 20 years of determination to give young women in need – and their children - the best opportunities for fulfilling lives.
Radio interview with Ben Fordham, 2GB
7 March 2019
BEN FORDHAM: Prime Minister, good afternoon.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Ben, g’day from Perth.
FORDHAM: Thank you for joining us. You went to Christmas Island yesterday. What did you find?
PRIME MINISTER: Well they've been able to stand up the facility as we asked them to do a couple of weeks ago. That's what was recommended to us after the Labor Party voted to undermine our border protection laws. The Department of Home Affairs said we will now need to set up Christmas Island again. We'd be closed it last year. So it's been stood up. The medical facilities are there. It's ready to receive people who may be transferred under this new scheme. But what it sends a very clear message about is to those who are looking to game this new loophole, well you won't be coming to the mainland - you'll be going to Christmas Island into a very hardened in detention facility.
FORDHAM: What kind of condition is it in, if it hasn't been used for a year? Is it full of cobwebs and mothballs?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, it was all shut down about October last year and so when they do that and decommission a facility like that, they have a procedure for actually standing it up again. That's what's called a hot contingency, so that means that they can stand it up again pretty quickly, which they've done. And those services are there and you know there's the education books coming back out in the adjacent rooms and the other facilities are put in place. So it's ready to receive. But my hope is that the way we've dealt with this and firmed up our border protection regime to cater for when Bill Shorten sought to weaken, that hopefully it won't get that much that much use.
FORDHAM: So you’re not expecting boats?
PRIME MINISTER: Well not under us, no. I think our border protection regime, I think people smugglers know that when they come up against me they've got a brick wall. If they come up against Bill Shorten, there's an open door. And so the one thing standing I think between those boats and Australia is our Government You know you never give an absolute guarantee on that because as you know there's you know 10,000 people plus up in Indonesia alone who would get on a boat tomorrow if they thought they could get through. But they know we will turn them back, they know we will send them to Nauru but they don't know that about Bill Shorten because he's had umpteen different positions on this and is led around the nose by Tanya Plibersek on border protection.
FORDHAM: The Medivac thing is now reality, right? So are you thinking that there are going to be boats coming and is there any suggestion that we've seen any leave?
PRIME MINISTER: Well what we're seeing is that people know that we're still the Government and that they know I’ll turn boats back. That's what they're certain of. They know that the border protection regime was weakened by the Labor Party and the law. But they also know that I took immediate action to compensate for that by strengthening what we're doing with Operation Sovereign Borders but also you know that they know if you're sitting on Manus Island now then you're not getting to go to Bondi for treatment. You've got to go to Christmas Island and be in a detention facility. That's where you'll receive your treatment.
FORDHAM: So Christmas Island yesterday, in WA today what do what are you up to? Are you on the election campaign trail already?
PRIME MINISTER: Well for the last six months, Ben, since I've taken over as Prime Minister, it's been my task really to get out to Australians all over the country and explain what we're doing as a Government, where we're going to take Australia after the next election if we're successful. This morning I was down at the Henderson wharf facility where we're actually doing all the maintenance on all the frigates. That's a huge project for Western Australia, it's a $900 billion contract to maintain and upgrade those frigates. We're building the offshore patrol vessels, the Pacific patrol boats over here as well. Investing in those defence contracts is actually very important for our economy. We're hitting some headwinds in our economy and so using our defence procurement as a way of actually supporting jobs and industry, not just in Western Australia but right across the country.
FORDHAM: We had a hint of those headwinds yesterday. Were you worried about those economic figures out yesterday? They were indicating if it wasn't for population growth we'd be in recession. Are you still confident about getting back into surplus?
PRIME MINISTER: Well no that's not quite what it said, to be honest. I mean, the Labor Party came up with some new language on these things which was to spin, but the economy is still growing at 2.3 per cent. The economy is growing. That's what it is doing. And I wasn't surprised to see that yesterday because as I've been warning now for some period of time what we're seeing overseas, the softening in global market conditions, then they're not things Australia has control over but they'll have an impact here. So my very simple point is now is not the time - in fact never is the time in my view - but you don't go and deal with a soft global economy by putting $200 billion of higher taxes on your economy, including a $5 billion dollar a year tax on retirees, abolishing negative gearing as we know it, putting up capital gains tax and halving the income tax cuts that we've already legislated for Australians right across right across the spectrum. I mean, that's not how you actually put your economy into a more resilient position. That's what the Labor Party wants to do and I think it will be very, very damaging for our economy if they are allowed to do that.
FORDHAM: When I mentioned that about, you know, if it wasn't for population growth we'd be in recession. I spoke to Terry McCrann yesterday, the business writer from NewsCorp. He almost dropped a swear word, Prime Minister, when he was on the show accidentally. He said, “We are high on the speed of immigration but if you take immigration out of the mix the economy is in deep shhhhh.” And then I had to jump in and save him. So do you disagree with that analysis from Terry McCrann?
PRIME MINISTER: Income per capita, disposable income per capita, these measures show that positive position over the last 12 months and that's been an improvement. Non mining investment also grew yesterday. I mean, what we've seen on business investment is the mining sector continued to lag on investment and that has not been helping the economy go forward. What's been making up for that is the big investments we've been making them in services and infrastructure. That's been important because when you have $80 billion of mining investment stripped out of the economy coming on the downside of the mining investment boom then that's going to have an impact. And that's why we’ve been doing what we're doing in defence industry, infrastructure and other things to ensure that the economy is continued to grow and that's why we've been able to retain our Triple A credit rating. But the great risk of Labor is that they go and get rid of negative gearing as we know it and put up capital gains tax by 50 per cent on these assets. What that will simply do was usher in a hard landing in our housing market and it's already soft now. You go and do that and you only worsen the situation and we all know what that will mean for the economy. So look, I think Terry is right to highlight that there are some real vulnerabilities and risks. And that's why you need to be doing things that are sensible in your economy, investing in the infrastructure and not dampening the economy through higher taxes.
FORDHAM: I know you're tight on time so let me squeeze in a few more and I thank you very much for calling in by the way, we appreciate it. Bill Shorten says the next election will be a referendum on wages and we know wages are too low, they haven't budged in years. I'm guessing you don't have the power to wave the magic wand and guarantee workers a pay rise?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that's why you need your economy to be strong and the only people are going to get a wage rise under Bill Shorten are the people smugglers. That's who is going to get a wage rise under him. As a result of his policies, because he's an open door when it comes to those issues. But I mean, people in the construction industry aren't going to have wage rises under Bill Shorten, he's going to shut the industry down through what he's doing on negative gearing. People who work in the mining industry aren't going to have that because his Cabinet would be quite happy and would think it was wonderful that our mining industry was having problems. He's not standing with them. So I don't know which workers he is actually standing up for. But under our policies the economy will be in a much better shape than it would under Labor, which means you've got a better chance for a wage rise. And on his emissions reduction target of 45 per cent - 45 per cent - versus ours of 26. That means they have to find three times the amount of emissions and that will mean a 9,000 cut to wages over the next 10 years in 2030, by following that policy.
FORDHAM: Let me ask you about the reports out today about this Chinese company that is backed by the Chinese government wanting to build a massive new coal fired power plant in the Hunter Valley. One of your MPs Craig Kelly says it's fantastic. Now, I gather this is a matter for the New South Wales Government but as Prime Minister of Australia, do you have a problem with a Chinese-owned company owning a key part of our power supply?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there are Chinese companies that already do own parts of coal mining operations in New South Wales currently and otherwise those operations probably wouldn’t even be there, which is no good for those who work in those places. But that particular project, there is no federal involvement in that. It would have to follow the normal further approval processes, I imagine. But that’s a matter for the state government, we’re not involved in that.
FORDHAM: OK quick one, as a rugby league fan, what do you make of the NRL players involved in leaked videos in these sex tapes? I know that Phil Gould from the Penrith Panthers says this goes beyond sport, it’s a massive issue for Australians mums and dads. What’s your message to younger people who are facing these issues, that… well, they can basically ruin lives in an instant and we’re seeing that at the moment. What’s your message?
PRIME MINISTER: I just think this is just appalling. I mean, as a fan of the game, as fans, that’s who I identify with. I love going along to the game but I mean, this week I announced $328 million to support programs to prevent violence against women and people have got to lift their act. They’ve got to lift their game.
FORDHAM: We appreciate you calling in, when are you heading back our way?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll be back there on the weekend and I’ll be back there to be with Gladys at the election campaign launch on the weekend. I was with her on Monday when we announced the Western Sydney International Nancy-Bird Walton Airport which was very exciting. I know many of your listeners would now be able to drive past out there on Elizabeth Drive and see the wonderful picture there of Nancy-Bird. To have one of our airports in Sydney named after our greatest male aviation pioneer and to have Nancy-Bird Walton which was one of his first, I think his first student, and the first women in the Commonwealth, not just Australia, to get a commercial pilots licence. That’s a great tribute to women, I think, in Australia and New South Wales in particular.
FORDHAM: No doubt about it. On a lighter note before I let you go, Ray Williams who is a Minister here in NSW, we have named and shamed him today for using photos on his election posters from about 30 years ago when he had jet black hair. Are we going to see current photos of Scott Morrison on his election posters or old ones?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no you will see current ones.
FORDHAM: With photoshopped shoes or real shoes?
PRIME MINISTER: No, the Prime Minister and Cabinet Department won’t be responsible for that so we’ll make sure my real shoes are in the photo, no problem. And you’ll have to see me all in my white-haired glory.
FORDHAM: I’ll be watching, thanks very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Good on you Ben.
Doorstop, Henderson WA
7 March 2019
NICOLE ROBINS, LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR FREMANTLE: Good morning, my name is Nicole Robins, I’m the Liberal Candidate for Fremantle and it’s my pleasure to be down here this morning at BAE Systems in the electorate of Fremantle. I’m here this morning with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Senator Linda Reynolds.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much. Well it’s great to be here in WA again. I have just come down, as you probably know, from Christmas Island last night where I can report the facilities have been stood up. The medical facilities have been put in place, they will respond to demand as is necessary. The estimated cost that people are aware of, that’s around about $1.4 billion over the next four years. But of course, that depends on the level of demand. So how much it ultimately costs - it could be much less than that, and I believe that the measures that we’ve put in place to ensure, wherever possible, what Labor has done in weakening our borders, we’ve been able to strengthen them so we can limit that cost and limit the number of people who would try and game the system and the loopholes. As you know, we’ve had to open Christmas Island on the advice of the Department of Home Affairs, their clear advice, that was given to us as well after Labor’s laws were passed through the Parliament. That was done on their advice, and that’s why we’re taking that forward. A key reason for that is also to deal with those who are on Manus Island now, and in other places you’ve seen in today’s media reports, and the declassified material, individuals that have been involved in seeing and posting material that is promoting terrorist causes, those who have been up on charges of rape and all sorts of hideous types of behaviour who should never be allowed to come to Australia. But because of Labor’s laws that they put through the Parliament, we will be forced to take should they go through that process. The only place they’re going to see is the inside of a room at Christmas Island’s hardened detention facility. They won’t be walking the streets of Perth, I can assure of that, so long as I’ve got something to say about it.
But it’s great to be here in Western Australia, and it’s great to bring $1.3 billion with me under the GST deal that you know I initiated as Treasurer, secured in legislation as Prime Minister and that ensures that Western Australia is getting the fair deal on the GST that they have deserved for a very long time. I’m very pleased to have played my role in that, Western Australians know where I stand on that issue because I promised and I delivered and on this visit, I can confirm that that additional top-up to get to the 70 cent mark will be provided and that’s $1.3 billion to support Western Australians. So the Western Australian state government can get on with providing the services that Australians rely on. My only request to the state government, to Premier Mark McGowan, is spend it wisely. You now have those resources, make sure it’s getting to the places that it needs to get to and that’s obviously a responsibility of the state government.
But here we are today at BAE Systems. And Minister Reynolds, my newly minted Cabinet Minister, and congratulations to you in your home state, Linda, for your elevation to the Ministry, to the Cabinet. This is part of an economic powerhouse that is needed to continue to drive our economy forward. A loan here to contract some $900 million for the sustainment, maintenance and upgrade of these frigates. Now these are intergenerational jobs that you are seeing sustained here and that will be created here for generations to come over the life of these sustainment and maintenance contracts. There are people who have been working here, as I learned this morning, for 32 years. Their children are also now working here. I’ve met apprentices this morning who are working here and I have no doubt they’ll have a long career here and their kids will work here too. Because of the long-term investment we’ve made in our naval ship building industry. Now in Western Australia specifically, there is $1.5 billion that is going to those projects and the setting up of the base infrastructure that is required to support that. You’ve got some $4 billion that is going into the offshore patrol vessels which are also being built here in Western Australia.
This is how you drive your economy forward. Our economy is facing stiff headwinds and that’s why you must have a plan, as we do, for lower taxes, supporting small and family businesses, expanding our export markets with the Indonesian Agreement signed only this week. But it’s also about supporting our traditional industries, our minerals and resources industries. Resources industries that Labor has always wanted to tax more and drive out of the industry, drive down our economy and we’re seeing that continue now with the Labor Party and Bill Shorten’s view which is hostile to our minerals and resources industries. But here in Western Australia, it’s also about our defence industry. The investments we’re putting into this industry will ensure jobs and growth for the future of the West Australian economy and our national economy. That’s how you drive wages forward, that’s how you drive jobs forward. You invest in projects like this and supporting contacts like the BAE which keep the Western Australian economy moving forward. So that’s my plan, that’s the plan I’m sticking to, investing in infrastructure, defence capabilities, to ensure the economy moves forward. So I’ll allow Linda to take you through some of the more precise elements of what’s happening here and then we’ll here from BA. Thank you.
LINDA REYNOLDS, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND NORTH QUEENSLAND RECOVERY: Well thank you very much Prime Minister and it’s wonderful to welcome you back here to Henderson. Today, there is no prouder Senator for Western Australia standing in front of the HMAS Perth and HMAS ANZAC behind us. Having both of these frigates being fully refitted by hundreds, actually thousands, of Western Australian workers here it is a very proud moment. As the Prime Minister said, we’ve got generations of Australian workers, Western Australian workers, working on these frigates. There is great capability across Australia in many industries to support our defence personal and as the new Defence Industry Minister, I am incredibly proud that there are so many West Australian workers here making sure that our men and women who serve in uniform here in Australia and overseas have the best possible equipment and ships that they can serve on.
So as the Prime Minister has said, this Government has committed over $2.5 billion in West Australian businesses and industry here. And that means that the men and women we have seen here today, their children, their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren will have work here on our naval ships. Not only in the build of the ships, which we’re very good at, we’re doing 31 of the 53 new service combatants and submarines that we’re building here in Australia. But most importantly for Western Australia is not only do we build and maintain defence vessels, we’ve also got a fantastic commercial ship building industry here. So what this additional investment in Henderson, in Garden Island and our defence industry means is that there will be thousands and thousands of West Australian jobs.
But also uniquely here in Western Australia, many of the men and women we have met here at BAE systems today and right across the Henderson strip have come out of the mining sector. So it is a great, sustainable way to keep all of these capabilities in Western Australia. So Prime Minister, welcome back and it’s wonderful to see you here.
LUKE SIMMONS, GENERAL MANAGER BAE HENDERSON: Welcome everyone, my name is Luke Simmons, I’m the General Manager of BAE Henderson. It’s been a pleasure to have the Prime Minister and Minister Reynolds here today. This is a great program that we’ve got here, upgrading and maintaining the ANZAC Class frigates. As mentioned earlier, we have generational people here. I’m third generation in the business and I’m proud to work in the defence force industry. We will be maintaining these vessels for the next 20 years of their life until the new Hunter Class frigates replace these frigates in the future. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much Luke. Look, we’re happy to take questions obviously. Maybe we deal with the issues we’re here talking about sustainable maintenance contracts or defence procurement policy and defence industry and then happy to deal with any other issues you’d like.
JOURNALIST: On jobs generally, you mentioned jobs and wages going forward, but with economic growth stalling at 0.2 per cent, do you see wages growth as outside your control?
PRIME MINISTER: Wages growth will come with economic growth. Wages growth won't come with higher taxes, which is what Bill Shorten is proposing. Wages growth will come with continued growth in jobs and the strength of the economy. We're growing at over 2 per cent, 2.3 per cent, which is still outstripping the majority of developed economies in the G7. It's only the United States, I understand, ahead. I mean, there are very strong economic headwinds. I've been warning about that for some time and I think yesterday's national accounts are a reminder to Australians that economic growth cannot be taken for granted. That's why we're making these investments here in Western Australia in the defence industry. That's where it comes from. I mean Bill Shorten, when he talks about wages - the only wages I can be certain he's going to increase is the wages of people smugglers, because his policies will only see a boost to their incomes, while smashing the Australian Budget in the costs that we saw last time Labor were in power and their border protection debacles cost the country an extra $16 billion.
JOURNALIST: The RBA Governor says there's something deep and structural going on with wages growth. Can you identify what it is?
PRIME MINISTER: When I was Treasurer, a number of years ago, I gave a fairly detailed presentation on this topic and one of the things that had been going on in incomes and wages in our economy has been the hangover from the mining investment boom, where wages maintained at a particular level and there was a gap that needed to be closed between producer and consumer wages. Now, those two lines are now starting to come a lot closer together and as we've seen with wages growth over the last six months or so, as the Reserve Bank governor has illustrated, we have seen a turning point when it comes to wage growth. We now have wage growth running above 2 per cent. It was sub-2 per cent prior to that. And so the way to support wages growth in the future is to have lower taxes, to invest in infrastructure, to support small and family businesses, to grow the size of your export markets, which are so critical to the Western Australian economy. To support all industries, not just the bright, shiny new ones, which we do support, but to support industries like mining and resources and agriculture and forestry and fishing. These are big industries that support a lot of jobs and the Labor Party is walking away from these traditional industries to chase the support of the Greens and others. Not the Liberal Party. We want to see all our industries go forward, particularly our mining and resources industry which is so critical to the Western Australian economy.
JOURNALIST: It's still sub-2 per cent in WA. Are bosses being too greedy?
PRIME MINISTER: We need to see more growth and Western Australia has been coming back from one of the biggest knocks to its economy that they have ever seen in Western Australian history. $80 billion was ripped out of the Australian economy on the down side of the mining investment boom and pretty much the majority of that hit here in Western Australia. So when you come off the back of a mining investment boom here in Western Australia, it hits hard and Western Australia is fighting back, it’s making its way back and we're supporting that by these types of projects. $900 million in investment in sustainment and maintenance for our frigate program. $1.5 billion going into infrastructure to supporting the biggest naval rebuild in Australia's history post-war. We will get back to 2 per cent of the size of the economy by 2021, ahead of the schedule we promised for our defence spending. When we came to office, that was 1.36 per cent, I think it was, the lowest level since before the Second World War. That was Labor's investment in our defence industries. Our investment in our defence industries is creating generational jobs.
JOURNALIST: Nationals MPs are publicly rebuking your Parliamentary tactics on the big stick power legislation. Why won’t you force it to a vote in the final days?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, my priority as we go into the Budget sitting are the Budget and the key Budget bills and appropriation bills and we've got a couple of days there and we'll address those as a priority. Another bill that I know will be very important to North Queensland MPs, and Linda has a close association with her other responsibilities for the North Queensland recovery, is the bill we will have to introduce to deliver that support to livestock industry, particularly cattle station-owners and managers up in North Queensland. They're my priorities going into that sitting - to ensure we're delivering the support for farmers affected by drought. In the last parliamentary sitting, Labor voted against us establishing the National Drought Future Fund. They voted against a drought Future Fund at a time when our farmers need our support, we’re delivering it, Labor voted against that bill. My priority going into that week will be to get the Budget handed down, the first surplus we've seen in 12 years. It's a long way back. You vote Labor once, you pay for it for a decade and that's what the experience has been in getting our Budget back into balance. That's what it has meant in getting our employment as a share of the working age population to its highest level we have seen on economic record. It took us 12 years to get back there after Labor were voted in in 2007. So I'm just saying to Australians the economy you live in for the next decade will be determined by the choices that are made at this election, just like they were back in 2007, and we've been paying for Labor being voted in on that occasion for the past 12 years.
JOURNALIST: Is Australia in a per-capita recession?
PRIME MINISTER: This is not an economic term that any economist has any recognition of so I'm not going to engage in the made-up statistics that the Labor Party are talking about. That's just a straight lie from Labor and you know that. So I'm not going to indulge Labor's posturing on this. These per-capita outcomes we saw under the previous Labor government and under the Howard government on a number of occasions. The real indicators of living standards, as you know, go to the national income per capita and these have been rising, as you know, over the past year and I welcome that. But our economy cannot be taken for granted. More than half the Australians voting at this next election will not have experienced a recession during their working lives. And so I can understand that you need a long memory to understand what it was like to work through that type of an economic period of time. I did. I came out of university back the '90s, in the early '90s, and I went in to that period of time. Friends, others, couldn't get jobs. We had a million people out of work. That's not what I want to see for the future of our country. And our plans here, like what we're seeing with our investments in industry, in infrastructure, in defence, are going to ensure against going back to those terrible times.
JOURNALIST: There’s been an internal brawl here over the Curtin preselection. What do you want to see happen with that?
PRIME MINISTER: The preselectors will gather on Sunday and they’ll make a very good decision.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned about the internal fighting over that?
PRIME MINISTER: No I don't accept... This is a preselection. There are a number of candidates. They'll stand up on Sunday, preselectors will make a decision and they'll make a good one.
JOURNALIST: Is that tit-for-tat between factional heavyweights in that preselection…?
PRIME MINISTER: I think all of that is very overstated.
JOURNALIST: The Liberal Party was punished in the state election there. What has changed since then and what’s your message to people in Victoria?
PRIME MINISTER: In Victoria?
JOURNALIST: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, in Victoria, I'm working closely with the Victorian government to deliver some of the biggest infrastructure projects the state has ever seen. The Tullamarine Rail is going to completely transform the city of Melbourne and we put $5 billion, hard cash, equity, into that investment to transform Melbourne’s infrastructure and the shape of their city into the future. The congestion-busting projects which we've been putting into Victoria, led by Alan Tudge, that is ensuring that the choke points that are frustrating Melburnians so much are being alleviated by the targeted nature of our congestion fund. When it comes to energy, the announcement I made in Tasmania last week about the Marinuslink, that will unlock 400 megawatts of power which is just sitting idle in Tasmania, which will help get electricity prices for people who live in Victoria. I will work closely with Dan Andrews, I’m going to work closely with him to deliver the infrastructure that Victorians need and to deliver the jobs and standard of living that Victorians are looking for and we've got the plans to achieve just that.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry. I couldn't hear you.
JOURNALIST: Offers have come through to build two High Efficiency, Low Emissions coal generators in NSW. Will you Government approve or underwrite them?
PRIME MINISTER: They're projects for the New South Wales Government. We don't have any involvement in those.
JOURNALIST: Has the Commonwealth assessed whether those plants stack up commercially?
PRIME MINISTER: They're not projects that relate to us.
JOURNALIST: Will you allow federal taxpayers subsidising of coal-fired power stations?
PRIME MINISTER: Those projects have nothing to do with our Government, we have no involvement with them, and I have no planned involvement with them.
JOURNALIST: Our Premier Mark McGowan yesterday said he’s hoping to ask you for more federal funding for projects like METRONET and regional roads. Do you have any plans to invest...
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I work well with Mark McGowan and just like I do with Dan Andrews. As Prime Minister you work with the Premier who is there and I appreciate the working relationship I've had with Mark McGowan. But, you know, they've got to spend the money we've already sent them. They haven't even been able to spend the money on Metronet that we've committed to them. We have record investment, some $11 billion of commitments to infrastructure here in Western Australia. On this visit I've come with $1.3 billion to honour the GST arrangement I've put in place. Too much money never seems to be enough sometimes with state premiers, but I don't think the Western Australian government in any way, shape or form can say that this Commonwealth Government and myself as Prime Minister and indeed prior as Treasurer, has not gone above and beyond when it comes to the fiscal needs of Western Australia. I delivered on the GST deal. I promised I would. Bill Shorten was all over the place. Western Australians know they can trust me when it comes to supporting Western Australians. Linda?
MINISTER REYNOLDS: Thank you, Prime Minister. Today we've talked a lot about infrastructure and jobs of the future here in Western Australia and I'd say this today to Mark McGowan, to the Premier. Use some of this $1.3 billion the Prime Minister has brought with him today, right here at the Henderson precinct. The Federal Government has committed and is already spending hundreds of millions of dollars of $1.6 billion in this broader precinct. The state government today has spent not a cent. So what I would say to Mark McGowan and to Paul Papalia the state minister, you know what needs to be done here. We’ve reviewed it for the last 12 months, we’ve done a Commonwealth and state review. You know what has to be done, we need roads, rail and infrastructure here. We need new warfage, we need a new channel, we need infrastructure right here. We have companies who want to expand here, we’ve got companies that want to come down here and build multi-generational jobs, but we don’t have the facilities. So Premier McGowan, please use some of this $1.3 billion and start work underway here. The Federal Government has put our money where our mouth is and investing in the area and it’s time now for the state government to do what it knows needs to be done here at Henderson.
JOURNALIST: Have you had any overtures or contact from the Premier since you were elevated to Cabinet on the weekend?
MINISTER REYNOLDS: Not yet, but I work very closely with the Premier and also with Minister Papalia. So we know… we’ve done all the work, we know what needs to be done to grow the jobs and the industries here. He’s just got to put his hand in his pockets and get the work under way.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, as a former tourism boss, Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon are currently on holiday in Canarvon.
PRIME MINISTER: Great.
JOURNALIST: How much is Tourism Australia paying them to be there and how much…
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look I’d have to refer to the Tourism Minister on that, I’m not close to those arrangements. But what I do know is that Australia has always had the best product to sell to the rest of the world, the greatest experiences, the greatest people, the greatest environment and I’m not surprised that they would be so willing to come and participate. So I think it’s good news for Western Australia, I think it’s good news for Australia and you know, what we’re seeing in tourism jobs, hospitality jobs all around the country is incredibly important to drive our economy forward and you can rely on us to continue to invest in that tourism sector. As you know, I’ve got quite a bit of experience in the tourism sector and I’m always thrilled to see it going ahead in leaps and bounds. Thank you.
Radio interview with Gareth Parker, 6PR Perth
7 March 2019
GARETH PARKER: On the line is the Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Good morning.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Gareth, it's great to be here the west.
PARKER: Appreciate your time. You’re here in Perth, we will come to that. You worried about the economy though?
PRIME MINISTER: I've been saying for some time that these headwinds we're seeing around the world, whether it's the China-US trade issues, strategic sort of tensions. What's happening with Brexit. Europe. I mean, there is some real headwinds in the economy at the moment. And we're faring better than pretty much all of the G7 economies except for the United States at the moment and that's why it’s important we keep doubling down on supporting small businesses, reducing taxes and the investments where I've just come from out in Henderson here in Western Australia. I mean, $900 million dollars in sustainment maintenance activities, $1.5 billion going into the infrastructure to support the patrol boats. So these are the things that will keep that economy moving.
PARKER: OK. But I guess in a way that's sort of the point. What the national accounts revealed yesterday is that the only thing that's really propping up the economy is government spending, the private part of the economy is really, really weak.
PRIME MINISTER: Well that's… the non-mining investment was actually up, mining investment was down. When you put the two together the combined impact of mining investment with the others showed that reducing, but non-mining investment actually improved and that's to be, I think, that's to be importantly noted. But that's why it's important that the mining sector and the resource sector are to be supported and appreciated. I mean, the Labor Party actually are welcoming the fact that the mining industry is facing some difficult times with global markets. I mean they described it as wonderful. I mean that's just nuts.
PARKER: OK. But households at the moment are nervous. I mean, you know how it works. In this state we've been struggling with house prices and the consumer economy has been really weak for years. But we're starting to see this hit Sydney and Melbourne as well, which given their importance to the national economy, is a pretty big problem I think.
PRIME MINISTER: Well that's why you wouldn't go and put $200 billion of extra taxes on the economy. That's why you wouldn't abolish negative gearing and put up capital gains tax, it's why you wouldn't go and slug retirees $5 billion a year, 85,000 Western Australians to strip their franked different dividends away from them with their with their credits. That would be a recipe for real damage to our Australian economy and that's what Bill Shorten is proposing. I'm not going to do any of those things, I'm actually cutting taxes.
PARKER: OK. What's on the agenda here in Perth? You’ve been in Henderson this morning what else we up to?
PRIME MINISTER: This afternoon I will be up in the electorate of Cowan, we’ve got a meeting there with a lot of the multicultural communities that are there and I'm looking forward to sitting down with them. I'll be with Christian Porter later today. We're also making some... doing some further work on some of the domestic violence issues and following up some of the funding we announced earlier this week. So it's you know it's an important visit but where I was this morning was very important. I mean that is a huge investment we're making in the defence industry here and the supply chain impacts of that investment right across hundreds and hundreds of companies. You know, it's a huge industry and we're talking about generational jobs. I mean, I met people there this morning who'd been there for 32 years there. Their son works there and I suspect grandsons will work there eventually. There's just intergenerational jobs we're creating out there at Henderson
PARKER: You can't afford to lose any seats in WA, can you? But the Labor Party is coming for them.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I can't afford to lose any seats anywhere in the country. And this is why our plan for a stronger economy, keeping our national security strength in place, and that is particularly the case in terms of border protection. I mean, Bill Shorten has been caught out. As I said yesterday, when people smugglers see me they see a brick wall. When they see Bill Shorten, they see an open door and you can see that in terms of his reaction to the issues on Christmas Island where I was yesterday.
PARKER: We’ll come back on Christmas Island, but I just I just want to focus on Perth for the moment. I mean it's... you're right. You can't afford to lose any seats, but here in the West, what's happened in previous election campaigns is the WA Liberal Party's been really strong particularly with money. My mail, and it's widely accepted, is that the WA Liberal Party at the moment is on the bones of its bum financially. You doing any fundraisers while you're here as well?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I always am and they're always very well attended. I don’t know where you're getting your intel from but I know in terms of the federal election it's far stronger than it was going into the last federal election.
PARKER: You’re not going to have Malcolm Turnbull's $1.5 billion to fall back on, are you?
PRIME MINISTER: Well no, we have actually got a lot more than that, that has come from support from businesses and individuals all across the country who understand what $200 billion of higher taxes will mean for the economy. How it will be a sheet anchor that will hold back jobs, it will hold back wages, it will hold back the growth in the business community that we need to support all of those economic outcomes. But it goes further that. If you don't have a strong economy, then you can't meet your commitments when it comes to health and education and affordable medicines, all things we've done under our Government. Bulk billing is at record levels. Record levels.
PARKER: The Christmas Island visit, was that a legitimate need for the Prime Minister to go there? No Prime Minister has been there before. Or was it just a political stunt so you could whack Bill Shorten over the head with the issue?
PRIME MINISTER: Well Tanya Plibersek said this week that the Prime Minister has to explain to the Australian people how the facilities on Christmas Island are going to meet the need for what is now before us. That's exactly what I did yesterday. I mean, the Labor Party can't have it both ways. They can't say I need to explain to the Australian people, and when I go and do it and demonstrate it and show them how it's going to work, then they complain the other way. I'll tell you why the Labor Party doesn't want to talk about Christmas Island ever, because it is the scene of Australia's greatest ever policy failure that happened on their watch. They want to pretend like Christmas Island never existed in the Labor Party. The riots, the fires, the tragedies. Four and five boats turning up every single day. That's what happened at Christmas Island. And Labor wants to pretend like it never happened. So when I make this very clear point that I am now having to reopen the Christmas Island detention facility that I closed last year because of Labor weakening our border protection laws in the Parliament under the Shorten's law. Well, the Labor Party doesn't like it but the Australian public deserve to know.
PARKER: The warning was that when the Medivac Bill passed there'd be hundreds of applications immediately. How many applications have there been?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's the law has only just come into place in the last couple of days.
PARKER: But the suggestion was our ready to go. So how many applications have been made?
PRIME MINISTER: What we're seeing is the asylum advocates and others are putting their plans together putting their talking points together.
PARKER: Has there been any applications made?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm not going to give you a running commentary.
PARKER: But have there been any applications made?
PRIME MINISTER: Gareth let me make this point. The reason we have reopened Christmas Island and this is working, is to ensure that those who thought they could game the system and find their way to Perth or Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane - no, you'll be going to Christmas Island. You'll be in a hardened detention facility. And that was the advice that was given to us by Home Affairs that we needed that facility particularly. I mean, we've got people...
PARKER: I can understand that there's probably some pretty significant deterrent effect there by saying you're not coming to the mainland, you’re going to Christmas Island but I'm just wondering, because the advice was that saying that the applications were ready to go. I'm just wondering have there been any yet? It sounds like they haven't.
PRIME MINISTER: There will be applications, I have no doubt about it, and the asylum groups are doing what they always do and that is seeking to undermine the Government's policies. But the reason we had that advice from Home Affairs is we had to remove any incentive effect for those who were looking to game the system like always happens and it strikes me that our reaction, by reopening Christmas Island, is having the desired effect and in the same way it's having the effect of deterring boats from coming to Australia. It’s my job, I don't want to see too many people transferred by gaming the system at all. So you know, if there turns out to be fewer applications, it'll be because the Government got the response right. Bill Shorten weakened the laws, I strengthen the system.
PARKER: Could Julie Bishop have beaten Bill Shorten if she was PM?
PRIME MINISTER: It's a moot point.
PARKER: It is a moot point I agree. But I'm just interested. What do you think?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I don't offer opinions on this, it's my job to beat it and that's what I'm doing and that's what the party elected me to do.
PARKER: Does it help you beat him for her to say that only she could beaten him?
PRIME MINISTER: No it's for you guys to talk about. I don't really engage in that stuff, other than to thank Julie for the tremendous service to Western Australia, a tremendous service to the Parliament. I've worked alongside Julie for many years in the Cabinet and I thank her for her patriotic service to our country and our Party.
PARKER: You interested in helping the WACA fund their redevelopment ambitions?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's with Mark McGowan. They're the ones doing the assessment. I brought a cheque with $1.3 billion effectively with me because of what I'm honouring the GST deal, which is you know we had to legislate. I designed it, we legislated and that means they'll get, Western Australia will get, $1.3 billion extra than they would have otherwise got. So I think West Australians know that they can trust me when it comes to my commitments and I've made them. I would just... it's up to the state government how they spend that money. But $1.3 billion I think gives them a lot more room to move than they've had otherwise to do whatever they consider to be the priorities and if they consider that a priority, well that's a matter for them.
PARKER: So sounds like you're not that keen.
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's a Western Australian state government issue, it's not it's not necessarily a Federal Government issue. They're assessing the project at the moment, not the Commonwealth Government, and they have $1.3 billion dollars that they wouldn't otherwise have had if it were not for my Government.
PARKER: OK. Christian Porter just told us earlier that he's been lobbying hard on this one.
PRIME MINISTER: Lots of members lobby about lots of things.
PARKER: OK, we'll have to wait and see then. Scott Morrison, I appreciate your time. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot. Good to be here and thanks for having me on.
Doorstop, Christmas Island
6 March 2019
PRIME MINISTER: ... had Christmas Island just over that, in fact. I was the Immigration Minister at the time. At that period of time we were about to embark on our Operation Sovereign Borders turn back policy. This centre had quite a lot of people in it at that time. When I left the role as Immigration Minister there were no more children here in this facility. As Prime Minister, I was pleased that last year we were able to close this facility. As Prime Minister just a few weeks ago, I was pleased to be able to say that the last of the children who were on Nauru had left. It isn't a good thing that we are now in the position, as a result of what the Labor Party has done and the vote they put into the Parliament, that we are now required to reopen this facility. We are required to do that. That was the clear advice of the Department of Home Affairs in response to the Bill that was passed through the parliament, cheered on by the Labor Party and Bill Shorten. I particularly want to commend and thank Border Force, Serco, IHMS and all others who have been part of restanding up this facility in short order. When we took the decision, straight after the vote in the Parliament, when I convened the National Security Committee, that was the standing advice, it was reconfirmed to us and we took the decision to do that. They got to work here and as you can see, this facility stands ready to deal with any of the transfers that would need to take place.
I have seen this facility in many different forms. I was here in… after 2011 when rioting detainees burned the place down. There have been many protests here. There have been many challenging times here. But I want to commend all of those who have worked in this facility and they have learned how to run an outstanding centre and to do it with the care and the support, as well as the strength that is needed to ensure an orderly detention process. Now, the decision we have taken is that for those who would be transferred to Australia as a result of the passing of the legislation in the Parliament, this is where they will come. They are single males - overwhelmingly - and only single males will be transferred to this facility, and in particular those who would under no circumstances previously until this Bill was passed, would they be transferred. Those, there are some very serious cases in which the Minister can speak to, they would be detained here in the highest security of the facilities you have here. This facility can take up to almost 600 transferees. At present they can take 250 and that will be ramping up very quickly. The medical facilities, which you have seen here, are also being ramped up in terms of additional medical professionals who will be here to provide what support is necessary and that will be done in response to demand that is observed.
But let me be clear about why we’ve reopened Christmas Island. First of all, it is to deal with the transfer of people who have been found to be compliant with the legislation that was passed through the Parliament. Those transferees who are coming under that process will find themselves here. The construction camp and Phosphate Hill facilities will be available to support any females who might be subject to that process. The other thing that Christmas Island does is that in the event that if there were to be a resurgence in illegal boat activity, this is the transfer point. This is where the boats would come, those who would seek to illegally enter Australia, they would be quickly processed here and they would be transferred to Nauru. So there is no change to any of those arrangements. Anyone who is thinking of coming to Australia illegally by boat, understand that our border protection regime is in place. We have strengthened it after the efforts of the Parliament to weaken it, by the Labor Party, and we will be ensuring, with the increased support into Operation Sovereign Borders, that if you seek to come to Australia illegally by boat we will turn the boat back and we will transfer you to Nauru if you sought to come that way and nothing on that score has changed. But this facility has been stood up to ensure that we can meet the demand that would come from the passing of that legislation and transfers that would come from Nauru to here and from Manus Island to here.
So I just want to be very clear about what the purpose is here. This facility under Labor got to a point where more than 3,000 people were on this island. That's how bad it can get when Labor runs the borders. I think it is important that we reflect on that when we stand here on Christmas Island. This centre was closed under our Government and it reached well above its capacity under the Labor Government. That is a clear contrast, I think, for Australians to observe. Again, I want to thank those who have been involved in standing up this facility. I thought it was important for me personally to come here and see that the facility was ready and so it can respond to the demand that we would expect. My objective is to ensure that no boats come and we have taken actions to ensure that that occurs, that no boats come. But also any of those who would seek to try and game this arrangement that has been put in place by the Australian Parliament with Labor's cheering it on, well, you won't be coming to the mainland of Australia, you'll be coming here. Anyone who wants to game the system, understand you won't be able to game your way to the mainland if I have anything to do with it. This is why we are here. I want to ask Minister David Coleman, I want to thank him for his incredible work to get us standing up here so quickly, David, to make a few comments. Then we will hear from the Border Force Commissioner and the Commander of Operation Sovereign Borders.
THE HON DAVID COLEMAN MP, MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION: Thanks PM. So, in July 2013 there were 3,200 people on Christmas Island and that included more than 600 children. More than 600 children were placed in detention here on Christmas Island in July 2013. When we came to office, there were 2,000 children in detention in Australia. They were all removed from detention by our Government. There has not been one child on Manus Island for years and there are no children on Nauru. So we have cleaned up the extraordinary mess that Labor left behind. The population of people in detention under this Government is 90 per cent less - 90 per cent less - than it was under Labor and we have closed 19 detention centres. The population on Manus and Nauru, as I said, there are no children, 96 per cent of the people on those islands are adult males and there is a small number of women remaining on those islands.
So we now have to respond to Labor's law and it's upending of the successful system of offshore processing and one of the things that we have to respond to is the fact that under Labor's law, there is a very limited capacity for the Government to stop someone from entering Australia on character grounds. There are only two - a breach of the ASIO Act and someone who has been to jail for 12 months or more. Now, there are dozens of people for whom we have been - the Government has been advised - are not captured by either of those elements of Labor's law but nonetheless have serious character concerns. And under Labor's law we will be required, should those people present and pass the assessment or treatment test under the law to bring those people to Australia. Those people include people who have posted extremist imagery online. They include people with allegations of sexual assault, including allegations of sexual assault against children. And they include people whose online behaviour raises very serious concerns of their potential links to banned organisations. So there are a serious number of people who are… we have grave concerns about under this law and the use of Christmas Island and parts of Christmas Island will be an important component in ensuring that should those people come to Australia they are in a secure facility.
I'd also, along with the PM like to thank the staff, the Border Force staff, Home Affairs staff and many others who have contributed to the rapid stand up of this facility and thank them for all of their efforts.
MICHAEL OUTRAM APM, BORDER FORCE COMMISSIONER: Thank you Prime Minister, thank you Minister. Good morning everybody. A little bit over two weeks ago, this facility was essentially in mothballs. The fact that today it stands ready in terms of us garrison support, the security facilities, the medical facilities, the facilities management, is a testament to some tremendous work. Not only by our Border Force officers, and I’d like to thank Superintendent Jenny Green and here team here and her colleagues back in Canberra, but it is a whole of Government team effort. Colleagues in the Department of Home Affairs working with our contractors Serco and IHMS in particular. So my thanks goes to all of those people because you can see today, it is a world class facility now. We are ready to take any number of people who come this way and it is ready to take on operations. So thank you to all those people, great job. Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Commissioner. Commander Furini?
MAJOR GENERAL CRAIG FURINI CSC, COMMANDER OF OPERATION SOVEREIGN BORDERS: Thank you Prime Minister and good morning. Notwithstanding the excellent preparations that have been done here, I would like to reiterate the points from the Prime Minister that Operation Sovereign Borders has fundamentally not changed. My mission remains to protect Australia's border from the threat of illegal maritime arrivals and prevent the needless loss of life at sea. To effect that mission, I have been reinforced in using my multi-layered approach. I will continue to deter, disrupt and interdict people smuggling efforts and where necessary return people and to pick up on a point if people can't be returned, they will not be coming here to Christmas Island to stay, they will be moving off to regional processing in Nauru. Thank you, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Commander. Happy to take some questions. Jenny is also here to take any particular questions on the details of the stand-up.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you expect all 940 people still on Manus and Nauru to want to get treatment in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: We will see. We are ready to respond to that type of demand but I think those who thought that this would be some easy passage to the mainland and would seek to try and take advantage and game the system, well, I think they are getting a very clear message that it won't be as simple as that. They will come here to Christmas Island and this is where they will receive that assessment. In the normal cases where people are requiring significant health treatment, I mean, those cases were already dealt with under the previous arrangements where people needed that care. They were getting that care.
JOURNALIST: So they will go back to, say, the Mater hospital in Brisbane?
PRIME MINISTER: That depends. It is a case by case assessment by the medical teams which has been for years. There is no change to those arrangements. The real risk here is the loopholes that have been opened up by the Labor Party in changing the laws means that there will be plenty who want to game the system, just as they sought to game the system to try and illegally enter Australia in the first place. So they have form. This hardened facility here will be able to deal with them. This is a place where their procedures I think have firmed incredibly over the years, having dealt with some real significant challenges. And let’s not forget that those on Manus have participated in riots before in those places. So this facility will be able to deal with it and they have the systems and the people in place to be able to deal any threats should they arise.
JOURNALIST: You have said before this is all about messaging when it comes to people smuggling trade. What kind of message do you think it is sending today to people smugglers to have you here, the first Prime Minister visiting Christmas Island, because there are going to many people criticising you for effectively advertising that Christmas Island is back open and that in fact you’re almost daring people smugglers to restart their trade?
PRIME MINISTER: Any time that people smugglers see me they see a brick wall to them coming and plying their trade in Australia. Any time they see Bill Shorten they see an open door. That is what my record demonstrates and that’s what Bill Shorten's record demonstrates. Bill Shorten was part of a Government that sent 3,000 people here. Bill Shorten was part of a Government that allows 820 boats to bring 50,000 people to Australia and see 1,200 people die. My record in this place is I shut it down, I got every single child off this island. That is my record. When people smugglers see me, they see a brick wall.
JOURNALIST: Has Home Affairs actually received any doctor endorsed applications for transfer here?
PRIME MINISTER: It has only been a couple of days since the laws have been stood up. So we’ll deal with those in course. The doctors panel is still being formed. David might want to respond to that. So we will deal with demand as it presents but I don't intend to provide a running commentary on that. My intention here is to ensure that vexatious acts by those who would seek to game the system to come to Australia using these loopholes will think twice about it. I mean, if we see less than otherwise we might have expected, I think that will be as a result of the actions the Government has taken to thwart and not provide incentives to that sort of vexatious behaviour.
JOURNALIST: Can I just ask a question about the list of 57 detainees that the Government has concerns about? Does that mean that the other 900 detainees you are not concerned about, and that any application by them would proceed on the basis that they are legitimately seeking asylum and they are of good character?
THE HON DAVID COLEMAN MP, MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION: There are 57 people who, as I said, under Labor's law, the Government would be required to bring to Australia and for whom we have very serious character concerns. People who have posted radical extremist material online. People who have been accused of sexual assault, including against children. So we are very, very concerned about those people.
JOURNALIST: I understand, and you’ve detailed their particular circumstance, we understand. But is it fair to group them in with all asylum seekers? It would seem if you looked at 950 of them, you have concerns about the vast majority would be of good character.
THE HON DAVID COLEMAN MP, MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION: We have clearly highlighted the 57 who are of greatest concern. And there are some very significant concerns about that group.
PRIME MINISTER: But of the other group, I would say this, they sought to illegally enter Australia, they sought to come to Australia by the wrong means. We have one of the most reputable and credible refugee and humanitarian programs of any country in the world and we take 18,250 people through the front door every year. But if you want to come by some other way, the policy of the Government is you don't get to resettle in Australia. So if they want to seek to use Labor's law, which sought to weaken regional processing - indeed end it as we know it - then what I am saying is we will be putting those obstacles in the way as you would expect me to do and the Australian people would expect me to do. I am serious when it comes to integrity of our border protection regime. I think Australians understand that. I know why we are reopening Christmas Island. Bill Shorten has had a different position on Christmas Island almost every single day. How would he have a position because he has never been here?
JOURNALIST: He says it is a waste of money coming here today. Can you tell us how much it has cost to reopen this centre?
PRIME MINISTER: That will be made available through the normal process. I don't have those figures at hand.
JOURNALIST: It’s not important to you, knowing how much you’re spending on that?
PRIME MINISTER: It is going to be $1.4 billion was the estimate over the four years to actually stand up this facility and run it and expect a high rate of occupancy over four years. And it’s be half a billion over the next two years. So they were the decisions that the Cabinet made based on the information that was provided to us. I wish we didn't have to do that. The reason we are doing this is because Bill Shorten went into the Parliament and he weakened our border protection laws. He was warned. He was warned clearly that this would have to be done in the event that he supported those laws. He chose to vote for it in the Parliament. He has basically voted for this centre to be reopened. He can't walk away from the consequences of that. If he thought the Government wasn't going to take its border protection responsibilities seriously when he wasn’t going to do that, then he is sadly mistaken.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’ve come here today with the media in tow. This is an area where we have previously been banned from filming, never before have we been beyond the barbed wire so to speak, why now? Why are you inviting the media here today?
PRIME MINISTER: What we have showed you today is what is here at this facility. There are no transferees at this facility today. That is one of the reasons why previously, I understand both under the previous government and ours, that has been one of the reasons why there hasn't been open filming of detention facilities anywhere in the country. There are no transfer here today. So that’s the first point I’d make. The second one is you have seen very clearly the standard of facilities that are here to support people in terms of medical assessment and treatment. This will be ramped up in response to demand and most of that ramping up will occur for people with mental health medical professional experience and those treatments and those support assessments are done at several locations here on the island. There are not only facilities here but the facilities at Phosphate Hill and elsewhere on the island as well as a lot of that assessment and support is being provided in the facility itself.
So the suggestion that this facility is not up to this job, I thought it was important for Australians to know that it is up to this job. That the medical support that is necessary to do the job that is being required of this facility will be able to be delivered through the very professional staff of IHMS who are also operating in Nauru as well and will have a lot of familiarity with many of the cases. This is why we are here today, to show very clearly that my Government is responding to the threat that has been posed by Labor passing that Bill. We are doing it in two ways - ensuring that the boats don't come and ensuring that those who might want to take advantage of this new law to find another back doorway to get into Australia onto the mainland, that they won't have that opportunity.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, it has been some weeks now since the Medivac law passed Parliament, with all of the attending fuss and effective advertising of Australia's change of laws took place, what evidence have you or your agency seen in the weeks since that that has had any impact on the demand for asylum seekers to actually get on the boats and come to our country, and if you haven't mightn’t we be actually standing in the middle of a giant white elephant?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s funny you say that Tim. The Labor Party said, back before 2007 when this facility was built by John Howard, that it would be a white elephant. That is what the Labor Party said. And then they sent over 50,000 people here when they got into Government after 2007.
JOURNALIST: It’s 2019 Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: My point is this, Tim. People have said before when we have raised these points and the Liberal and National Parties, oh no that’ll never happen, this will never happen, the Labor that will never happen under them, that's exactly what happened in 2007. And the same criticisms were made of the Government for putting these out, for putting these facilities in place and the Labor Party used them beyond their capacity because of their weakness on the borders. Now my hope Tim, my hope, and this would certainly be the case should we continue in our roles and be re-elected at the next election, that the need for this facility would subside again. Because if re-elected, I will get rid of those laws and I will make sure that we preserve the situation.
JOURNALIST: Any boat movements, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: What I do know is this, they are continuing not to come because they know I am still the Prime Minister, Peter Dutton is still the Home Affairs Minister, Operation Sovereign Borders is still in place. That’s what I know for a fact, Tim. What they are waiting for is for Bill Shorten to be Prime Minister.
JOURNALIST: You cited the Department of Home Affairs advice as the requirement to reopen Christmas Island.
PRIME MINISTER: We agreed with their advice, yes.
JOURNALIST: What reasons did they give for that and what reasons did they give for not detaining people in [inaudible] or any other immigration detention centres?
PRIME MINISTER: I set those out at the start of the press conference. I set those out. The purposes are twofold. The first of those is to ensure that we can bring people to a hardened facility because the laws, as they have been passed, deny us the opportunity to prevent people coming from Australia who otherwise would never be able to come and in addition to that, to ensure that those who might seek, frankly, to game the system, those who might seek to take advantage of these laws and seek to come to Australia by that method, that the alternative and the option that the Government would be using here at Christmas Island would not provide an incentive for them to do that. Now thirdly, on top of that, in the event that there were to be vessels coming again, then this facility obviously would have to be used for the transition purposes that the Commander set out which would see people transition through here and be sent directly to Nauru. That would be its purpose.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you take responsibility for the fact that the economy is now deep in a per capita recession?
PRIME MINISTER: I have been warning since last year, I was warning as Treasurer. What you have just set out, that is not how those matters are assessed. That's not how those economic circumstances are described. What I do know is that living standards as measured through the national accounts has actually continued to grow. What I do know is that the Australian economy does face real challenges globally and the Treasurer has been setting them out. I noticed that the Leader of the Opposition, that Bill Shorten is talking a lot about wages. I will tell you this - the only wages that will go up under Bill Shorten's Prime Ministership will be the wages of the people smugglers.
JOURNALIST: The classified leak today is saying that cuts to Australian Border Force are affecting our ability to protect our borders?
MICHAEL OUTRAM APM, BORDER FORCE COMMISSIONER: I will respond to that. So there have been no budget cuts. In fact, patrol days that we spent at sea since 2014 have increased every financial year since 2014. This year what we have received is an additional $74 million in funding as well, which allows us to not only maintain our presence on the water but also be ready to increase that posture in the coming period ahead. The other thing I would say is that Maritime Border Command that sits within the Australian Border Force as a joint agency task force, headed up by a Rear Admiral from the Royal Australian Navy, that task force deploys vessels on the water, yes, and there are a combination of border force and defence vessels. Not only that, we have a range of aircraft of course surveying the water and we have a range of satellites and other capabilities. So this really is about a security in depth principal and we work very collaboratively with a range of agencies to deliver the effects. The key point I would make is that our maritime posture and our border protection capabilities have not been weakened and nor will they be.
JOURNALIST: According to this leaked briefing, the Defence Force is having to pick up the slack and you are running 20 per cent below your targets on sea patrols. Is that accurate and if that is not because of budget cuts, why is it?
MICHAEL OUTRAM APM, BORDER FORCE COMMISSIONER: I’m just going to answer the question, I’m not going to talk any leaked documents. I haven’t seen leaked documents and I don’t know about the providence of leaked documents. What I will say is this, as I have just repeated, our budget has not been cut. We have received an additional $74 million this year in relation to our on-water operations. Maritime border command also provides aerial and satellite surveillance over and above what we put on the water. And so we are very well postured.
JOURNALIST: You are 20 per cent below your patrol targets though?
MICHAEL OUTRAM APM, BORDER FORCE COMMISSIONER: No, I don't believe that is true. But I haven't seen the document you are referring to, I’m afraid.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, your thoughts on publicly-funded abortion?
PRIME MINISTER: This is a very controversial and sensitive issue and on these matters I have never sought to divide Australians on this. I'm a bit disappointed that it is being raised in the eve of election in a very politically charged context. These are matters that are dealt with by the states and territories. I have no desire to overstep what the constitutional authorities are of the Commonwealth in these matters. They are rightly dealt with by the states and the territories. I don't find that debate one that tends to unite Australians and I certainly am not going to engage in the political elements of that discussion because frankly, I don't think it is good for our country. Thanks very much.
JOURNALIST: The leaked defence briefing, it’s appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, will that be referred to the AFP?
PRIME MINISTER: The Commissioner has already, I think, has already put what has been suggested is in that document, he has addressed those issues that are raised in that document and I'm sure that any issues that arise from that from the nature of this document, which I haven’t seen either, will be dealt with in the normal way.
JOURNALIST: One for the Commissioner sorry if you wouldn’t mind. So just to be clear, the assessment that we have seen that is unclassified with the 57 detainees, have you carried out the same assessment on every detainee on Manus and Nauru? Because we have only seen details of about 25.
MICHAEL OUTRAM APM, BORDER FORCE COMMISSIONER: What I will say is the assessments have been undertaken by the intelligence area within the Department of Home Affairs, not by the Australian Border Force.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s not an ADF role. Thanks, everyone.
Press Conference, Canberra ACT
5 March 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m pleased to be joined here today by the Minister for Women, Kelly O’Dwyer, the Minister for Social Services, Paul Fletcher. I’m also very pleased to be joined here by Patty Kinnersley, CEO of Our Watch and Libby Lloyd, who presented to our COAG summit delegates back in December. As you know, this entire program around the National Action Plan has been worked in partnership with the states and territories. And I've got to say, Libby's presentation to all of the first ministers in Adelaide was very powerful, very sobering. And has sat, I think, behind a great deal of the thinking as we've gone into preparing this package that I'm announcing today.
Violence against women and children is just simply unacceptable. For many of us, it's just simply unthinkable. And the reality, though, is it occurs, and it occurs all over the country. No community is exempt. It just doesn't happen in disadvantaged communities, it happens in some of the most affluent communities in the country. It just doesn't happen in inner-city areas, it happens in the most remote and far-flung places of the country. No part of our country is immune from this hideous condition of violence against women and against children.
When I stood up in the Press Club a few weeks ago, I talked about my plan - our plan - to keep Australians safe. And I listed alongside our duties as a Government, whether it comes to our national security or issues of that nature, I listed this amongst our national security objectives. It is as important, if not arguably more. Keeping Australians safe in their homes, in their communities - I can't think of a higher priority. And when it comes to keeping women and children safe, well, I think that speaks of itself for its priority. But if you need any convincing, the statistics are shocking. As we know, on average one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner. On average, eight women are hospitalised each day due to family and domestic violence. One in four women has experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner, boyfriend, girlfriend or date, since the age of 15. Intimate partner violence contributes to more illness, disability and premature death than any other risk factor for women aged 18-44.
These statistics are just damning. But they're not numbers, they're people. They're girls, they're women, they're daughters, sisters, aunties, mums, grandmums. And when you think about it in those contexts, it's hard to think about anything else, to be honest. That's why I think this issue attracts to it support across all elements of politics, all boundaries of government, into the non-government sector. It is something which I've seen all areas work together on. And Australians should feel reassured about this. This is not an issue that should be a matter of any sort of political or partisan debate, and I don't believe it is. I don't think it should be. And that should be avoided wherever possible. We should focus on the things where we work together.
Our Government's first priority is to keep Australians safe. And we must take action to prevent violence and support the survivors of those who have experienced it. And that's why today I am announcing, through the Fourth National Action Plan, our investment in women's safety. This is a $328 million plan, which is the Fourth National Action Plan, which rounds out the 12 year program that was set back in 2010. The investment is broken up into a series of areas, which I'll ask both Kelly and Paul to speak to. But what I have to stress is it's very focused on prevention. It's very focused on changing attitudes, of all Australians, because disrespect of women and children, while it won't always end necessarily in violence towards women and children, that's certainly where it starts. And our focus on prevention, as Libby will tell you, and as Patty will tell you, is world-leading with a package of this nature. And so that's why I'm proud to announce a program which does focus on prevention, some $68.3 million in prevention. There is a $64 million investment in 1800RESPECT, which has grown both in capability and resource and assistance to those who are affected. And I should stress it doesn't just address the calls of women, it also addresses the calls of men who have been subject to domestic violence as well. Of course, our focus today is on women and children, but I should stress that that service is also available to men. And we acknowledge that that occurs for men as well.
But these services together will ensure that we continue the progress we are making. I wish we were making more progress. I believe we will make more progress. I look forward to the day when a Prime Minister can stand - whether it's here or in the chamber or anywhere else - and say that a young girl being born today won't experience this over the course of the first 20 years of their life. I can't say that today. No Prime Minister could. It's not clear to me what day they will be able to say that, but I know what we're doing today takes us closer to that point. I think we can say fewer will as a result of the efforts that we've put in, and that this plan will deliver. And we'd like that to be reduced to zero. And we have to have that ambition. We have to have that target. But we have to be realistic about the facts as they are on the ground now, and I think this is what this plan does.
I'll finish by saying that this plan has been the outcome of extensive consultation. Cross-community groups, service providers, those who are involved in the day-to-day issues of managing this. Part of this plan, as you know, was announced when I spoke at the National Press Club about the focus on providing support for women's refuges, and providing permanent refuge places. Every single year for women to be able to find those places. I've got to say, as a local member over the last decade, that's been one of the most constant things raised with me in this issue in particular, and so I was pleased to announce that a few weeks ago. But it is the process of a lot of consultation. We have listened, and the plans that you see here are a product of that listening. But I’ll tell you what, we're going to keep listening, we’re going to keep acting and we’re going to keep doing it, until a Prime Minister can stand here and say that a girl growing up today won't face this. So, I'm going throw to Kelly and then to Paul, and then to Libby and Patty.
THE HON KELLY O’DWYER MP, MINISTER FOR WOMEN: Thank you very much, Prime Minister. And as you've heard from the Prime Minister, we have been listening. Listening very carefully to what victims of domestic violence and stakeholders have told us about what it is that we need to do to better address this issue of reducing violence against women and children. And our approach centres around three key themes: prevention, response and also recovery. We have zero tolerance for violence against women and girls, and we want girls and women to know that they can be safe in their homes, in their communities, online and in their workplaces.
But as the Prime Minister has said, a very key focus of this Fourth Action Plan is around prevention. And today we are announcing a world first when it comes to investment in prevention strategies. In fact, we are announcing today the very first National Prevention Strategy. Now, this is going to bring together, with the hub, the Prevention Hub, experts. Experts from across government, national, state and local, experts in reducing violence against women and girls in the media, in our community, and also in business, to make sure that we have got the most comprehensive prevention strategies in place. And we are going to enhance the National Stop It At The Start campaign, which has been so incredibly successful. But we also know that we need to take a multi-layered approach to this as well. We have seen great success with the Quit campaign, where not only has there been strong advertising but also information into schools and into the community at the same time that can see a change of attitude and a change of course of behaviour. And in addition to addressing domestic and family violence, our prevention strategies are also going to have a strong focus on raising awareness around sexual violence and increasing the understanding around issues to do with consent and healthy sexual relationships, particularly for young people.
We are absolutely steadfast in our resolve and our belief that targeted, coordinated and sustained prevention strategies can help to end the vicious cycle of violence. I'm also, of course, very pleased, together with the Prime Minister and the Minister, to announce $35 million to also provide further culturally-based prevention strategies, as well as direct services, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children. Sadly, of course, we know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children are disproportionately affected by family, domestic and sexual violence. This, of course, is unacceptable. And all governments have responsibility to listen but also to respond, and to respond very proactively. We have been listening to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and we are working with them on a genuine partnership to develop solutions to end the cycle of violence. And our $35 million package includes ongoing, additional investment to continue and to expand the Indigenous-specific projects previously funded under the Third Action Plan, which will also include an increase in family violence prevention legal services and their capacity to deliver holistic crisis management for Indigenous women and their children, new funding to support Indigenous women and children through intensive case management in areas of high demand, and including in remote areas, so that they're able to access services that work with the whole family and to also address the impacts of violence.
And practical intervention programs to address past trauma and provide the tools and skills that are needed to develop positive and violence-free relationships. And also the $1.7 million that will support the second stage of the Women's Voices national conversation that is being led by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO. These are important measures. These are measures that will specifically address violence against women and their children. They will reduce the terrible statistics that the Prime Minister has talked about, the statistics that represent the lives of mothers, of grandmothers, of daughters, of sisters, and also of friends and work colleagues. We are absolutely and wholeheartedly focused on this issue and the record investment today will make that difference.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you, Kelly, and for the work you've put into this. And also to you, Paul.
THE HON PAUL FLETCHER MP, MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES: Thank you, PM. Thank you, Kelly. Look, as the Prime Minister and Minister O'Dwyer have made clear, this $328 million package includes a balance between, on the one hand, some very significant measures directed at prevention and long-term attitudinal change, so we reduce the forces underpinning violence against women. But it also includes very substantial funding for front-line services as part of the Commonwealth's contribution to the Fourth Action Plan under the National Plan to reduce violence against women and their children.
For example, part of that $82 million in funding for front-line services is $10 million to deliver specialised family violence services to an additional 16 locations around the country, some 20,000 additional counselling services will be funded under that. And there's initiatives across a range of portfolios. For example, in the Attorney-General's portfolio there will be some $10 million of funding to better coordinate what goes on in the family courts with the work of specialised State agencies that deal with violence against women so that we're getting a better coordination between those two systems. So $82 million for front line services and in addition, $64 million for 1800RESPECT as the Prime Minister touched on. 1800RESPECT is our national counselling service for victims of family and domestic violence and sexual violence. It's been operating for a number of years and the number of calls coming in is increasing rapidly. In 2017/18 there were 98,000 completed calls or internet chat sessions. In 2018/19 that's expected to be 160,000. This funding, this $64 million of funding will be sufficient for 575,000 calls and chat sessions over a 2 year period because more Australians are calling 1800RESPECT. 1800 737 732. I would say to any woman who is listening, indeed any man as well as the Prime Minister mentioned, if you have been exposed to domestic or family violence, please call 1800RESPECT because there are specialised counsellors able to assist and work with you on what the next steps are that you should take. This is a vital front line service: $64 million.
So across this package, a mix of front line services, a mix of long term strategies directed towards prevention. All part of taking a further step on the journey towards that outcome that the Prime Minister has identified of getting towards that point. We're not there yet but we're on the journey towards it, when a young girl can be born and we can be confident that she's not going to be exposed to domestic or family violence. With that, I think we are going to... Patty.
PATTY KINNERSLEY, CEO OF OUR WATCH: Thank you very much. We know that all women and their children should be free from violence and we know perpetrators should be held to account. But we must stop this violence from happening in the first place. That is why we are so pleased that prevention is at the heart of this package. Prevention and the Prevention Hub gives every Australian the opportunity to contribute to this work. We will work with sporting organisations, education institutions, workplaces and with the media to create healthy, equal and respectful communities. The Morrison Government should be congratulated for their commitment to the whole package and particularly to prevention. We look forward to working with you all, to with other Governments and with our key stakeholders to bring this package to life.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, very much, Paddy, appreciate that. Libby.
LIBBY LLOYD: I would also like to congratulate the Government for its contribution, this big financial boost this time. It's added significantly to what we've been doing. The remarkable thing is that this has been a long-term plan. We have been getting into our 10th year. We have been building over time and it is getting stronger and stronger as we go. This is a big boost to that. The fact that it's gone largely into prevention is a marvellous outcome. I'd really like to congratulate the Government. Thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much for those comments. Happy to take questions to all of us on the plan and then, as usual, we will deal with the other matters after that.
JOURNALIST: This is coming to the end of a 10-year plan. Yet as you say, the figures are still quite horrific and the numbers are going up for the hotline. Realistically, how long will it take to actually see improvements? Is it a generational thing? Particularly when it is a problem that happens at home and it’s a cycle within families?
PRIME MINISTER: I will let others comment on this as well. This is part of a 12 year programme. This is the fourth 3 year action plan. At the end of that 12 years, I don’t see why there wouldn't be another 12 year programme. I don't see why that would be limited at all. This is one of those great challenges where the finishing line seems to be ever receding, as John Howard used to say. What we hope to do over these next three years is bring that finishing line a little closer to us and hopefully a lot more closer to us. But we are talking about significant longer term generational cultural change and these programs are designed to address that. Others may wish to comment.
THE HON KELLY O’DWYER MP, MINISTER FOR WOMEN: I think also what I would say is in actually having this conversation, in putting domestic and family violence at the heart of the Government, in terms of our focus in tackling this issue, we know that people now also feel more comfortable coming forward in actually seeking help because they know that the help is there. They know that they will be able to get the counselling and support that they need and the interventions that are required. I think we are also seeing, in terms of the numbers, people more willing to actually come forward and also a much greater identification at an earlier stage. One of the great aspects of this particular program, when the Prime Minister talked about the fact that the shocking statistics of eight women being hospitalised every day due to domestic or family violence, one of the elements in this package goes towards having front line providers of health services be able to more readily identify domestic and family violence so those interventions can be made much, much earlier. So I am hopeful that with all of these interventions, with prevention strategies, as well as the response and recovery, all integrated together and Governments working together. As the Prime Minister has said, we are working together with state governments, it doesn't matter what their political stripes, we are united in our purpose in actually trying to lower the impact of family and domestic violence and hopefully, one day, eradicate it altogether.
THE HON PAUL FLETCHER MP, MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES: The comment I would add, Libby talked about the fact that this has been a plan underway now since 2010. $840 million from our Liberal National Government since 2013 towards measures to do with women's safety. Attitudinal change takes time. We know from the research we have done into the Stop it at the Start campaign, where we've had two significant phases of that and the research indicates there is high awareness. 70 per cent of people are aware of that campaign and it is changing attitudes. Some 45 million views of those Stop it at the Start commercials online. We have got money in here, nearly $17 million for the next phase of Stop it at the Start. So there is a balance in this program, in this package, between prevention which necessarily takes a longer term focus and the continuation of those vital front line services.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, there seems to be a lot of cases emerging just recently, particularly in sport, of domestic violence and sexual assault. Just going on what Patty is saying about the importance of setting a community example. What's your message to sports administrators as they're dealing with these high profile sports people accused of these crimes? How should they be dealt with - what sorts of examples should they be setting?
PRIME MINISTER: I think the zero tolerance approach is what should be expected and that's what should be done. I think honestly, that's what the fans of the codes, being one of them, would want to see as well. Because sport can actually be a powerful tool to help get this message across. The PM’s XIII match played in Port Moresby was all about carrying the message of stopping violence against women. I should stress our Pacific Step-Up campaign, a lot of the work we're doing in that program is actually taking those messages through our sports programs and other soft diplomacy to get the message out into our Pacific nations as well and work with governments there to address what is also a very significant problem in those communities. So sport can be a real positive to help change the culture. But they've got to change their culture to actually carry that message. I do know that whether it's the AFL, the NRL, soccer, all of the sports codes and their leadership are very engaged in trying to address this. That has to go all the way through the grades. It has to go all the way down to the grassroots level of these sports because that's the culture that needs to change.
JOURNALIST: How does zero tolerance work effectively though, Prime Minister? Somebody accused of a crime isn't allowed to play - is that zero tolerance?
PRIME MINISTER: I think you've put it pretty well.
THE HON KELLY O’DWYER MP, MINISTER FOR WOMEN: Can I also just add, Mark, I think sports stars for a lot of young children in our community, are considered great role models and they have a responsibility that are on their shoulders as a result of that, in terms of their behaviour, the behaviour that they exhibit. On the field and off the field. And I know there's been great work done our lot, so I’m going to invite Paddy to say a few quick words on this because I know male role models are very important.
PATTY KINNERSLEY, CEO OF OUR WATCH: Thank you Minister. Six years ago when Our Watch was established out of the second national action plan actually, we had trouble engaging sporting organisations, workplaces and educational institutions and all of the important places we spend our time in this work because they didn't think it belonged to them. We now have a really strong interest from all of those settings to work with us, where they now say, "We get it, we understand violence against women is not acceptable and we understand we have a role to play but what do we actually do?" So one of the projects we have been funded by the Commonwealth to do is called a national sporting organisations initiative. We have been working with four of the large national sporting organisations to undertake this work. Now it is slow work. We are turning around really entrenched attitudes and behaviours but where we find that the boards are involved, the CEOs are involved and then it threads through the organisation, that changes are being made. This takes time but I'm really confident to say that some of the people leading our national sporting organisations are grappling with it, they are working hard but they are on the path. They can either do nothing and say there is no problem here or they can say we know there is things we need to do, we can't ignore that and we will make a start. So for that I congratulate the sporting organisations for being on the journey.
JOURNALIST: Can I just ask you a question to, coming back to this question of why the figures have been worsening, with domestic violence generally, do you agree because it is of more reporting or is there something going on in society?
PATTY KINNERSLEY, CEO OF OUR WATCH: If you look at the MeToo campaign and women widely report this is the first time they have felt safe to speak, that they will be listened to. So over the life of this plan and the support with this Government, we now have an environment where the culture around us is changing. The media is talking about violence against women differently. Sporting organisations are taking a different responsibilities. Commissioner Jenkins' review on sexual assault is bringing up a whole another layer of conversations. Women are coming forward. They feel like there is a system around them that makes them more safe to speak out. So it is really difficult to say absolutely why the figures are still going up, but we do acknowledge that on the path to improvement, part of it is people feeling safe to speak.
JOURNALIST: And Prime Minister, where is the money coming from for this announcement today?
PRIME MINISTER: It's in the Budget. It is actually committed. It is in the forwards.
JOURNALIST: It was in the midyear Budget review?
PRIME MINISTER: This is fully funded in Budget. The money is right there right now.
JOURNALIST: The Prevention Hub, does it need to be a Federal agency that is fully staffed, in the sense that it is overseeing a lot of activity across the sector because in this area there are lots of not-for-profit agencies and groups all doing different work which can be fantastic work, but may not all be coordinated and may depend entirely on their own ability to raise funds. Is the Prevention Hub a new agency with a dedicated ongoing annual budget?
THE HON KELLY O’DWYER MP, MINISTER FOR WOMEN: This is not about creating another bureaucracy. This is about how we can do things better. It is about drawing together all of the knowledge and the expertise in a way that we have never done before. It is about having a practical impact through those strategies on the ground and in taking the very best learnings and applying it across the board, applying it nationally. One of the great take outs for me, when I attended the COAG minister for first ministers who were women's ministers was we don't talk enough about the things that we are doing that are effective in each one of our jurisdictions and the knowledge is not shared as effectively as it needs to be. There are learnings when things go well and there are learnings when things don't go well. We have to share that better and that is what this will focus on. I know Patty has thoughts around this as well.
PATTY KINNERSLEY, CEO OF OUR WATCH: Out of the work that's happened to date in the second and third action plans, Australia developed a national prevention plan for violence against women and children, it is called change the story, a national framework for the prevention of violence against women and their children. It’s not only a national first, it is a world first. And what that does is it outlines the drivers of violence against women, it outlines the actions we all need to take and it gives everybody in this country a role in order to change the current circumstance. So over the course of the last plans, we have been developing the tools and resources that other people need to lead prevention efforts. What we want to make sure with the Hub is that we don't need to start again. We're not starting from scratch. There is a lot of good tools and resources out there and a lot of evidence base. We want people to come to the evidence base, we want people to use what has been proven as successful. It is about mutually reinforcing, across every part of our community, in partnership, helping people talk to each other, helping people learn so that we actually know that we are being efficient with our Government funding and we are using the evidence base.
JOURNALIST: On another matter, Prime Minister…?
PRIME MINISTER: Any other questions on domestic violence?
JOURNALIST: Minister, on the $35 million for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, what about culturally and linguistically diverse communities? Because obviously there are so much more complications...
THE HON PAUL FLETCHER MP, MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES: Can I just add that in addition to the $35 million directly targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, there's $12 million of funding targeted at culturally and linguistically diverse communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as well. We have some specific funding there targeted at particularly vulnerable or at risk groups and it might be at risk because of obviously potentially poor English language skills or other cultural barriers.
PRIME MINISTER: There is $3.8 million to deliver critical support for identified victims of human trafficking, slavery and slavery-related practices. You will see that in the report. We have taken a very strong position on human trafficking in Australia but also taking a leadership position in our region. This forms part of the plan.
JOURNALIST: You talk about sharing information through the legal system on a Federal and State basis. How far will that information-sharing go, will there be a creation of a national database for authorities to access so that perpetrators don't slip through the cracks or children when they move from state to state?
THE HON PAUL FLETCHER MP, MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES: Well this funding has been allocated so we can work through how there will be better coordination. One of the things that that will see is some funding for state employees to be located within the Family Court system so they're available to people who are going through those processes. But obviously we will be looking at other ways to more tightly coordinate the Family Court, run by the Federal Government and State and Territory agencies.
PRIME MINISTER: Still on the topic of the day?
JOURNALIST: Yes still on the topic. You spoke about violence towards children and disrespect towards children. Have Tony Abbott and John Howard gone too far in supporting George Pell even after his conviction and what message does that support send to victims?
PRIME MINISTER: Bevan, I made my comments on this the other day and my comments were about identifying absolutely with the victims of child sexual abuse within institutions. That is where my thoughts are. Because I know that those events and the reporting of the conviction of George Pell would have stirred all of this up for those tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, who knows, of victims who are out there and they would have re-lived it all again and the pain and torment would have come back. I can't really think much past that, Bevan, to be honest, to be offering commentary on what others should be saying or doing. I just can't get past the pain of those Australians that I met when I delivered the national apology and my only thoughts are for them. If we're moving from domestic violence, we will excuse our... thanks very much, Patty and thanks very much Libby. Thanks for joining us today and appreciate your support for the announcements. Let's move to other matters.
JOURNALIST: Home Affairs has given a Manus Island catering contract to a company without a tender process, worth more than $1,300 per resident per day. Does that sound like good value to you and are you concerned about the profusion of Home Affairs contracts going to companies without competitive tenders?
PRIME MINISTER: Well as you’d know, these contracts and services are a mixture of those which are provided by the Papua New Guinean Government in cases that in some arrangements they have nothing to do with the Australian Government. So I will look at the matter you have raised and come back to you.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister I just wondered, on the SCG board and Michael Daley this morning saying he would sack the board. Do you think that it is an appropriate thing for an Opposition Leader to be saying just because a board perhaps disagrees with his position?
PRIME MINISTER: What is it with the Labor Party at the moment drawing up lists of people they want to sack? I mean, the hubris just doesn't stop. They are drunk with power and they haven't even gone to an election yet, whether it is federally or in New South Wales. I actually haven't seen an Opposition quite carry on like this for some time. I tell you who they really have in their sights, retirees who will have to pay higher taxes, people who just want to get by in life, provide for their future. They will tax them too with the abolition of negative gearing as we know it and increasing capital gains tax. They will wipe out half the tax cuts that we have actually had legislated through the Parliament. For people who just should be allowed to keep more of the money they have earned. They will do the same to small and family businesses. The question is who is next on Labor's hit list? Everybody seems to be on this list. They are drunk with power and they haven't even drunk from the cup as yet. Whether it is with the unions or the rest of it, there is just a hubris and arrogance that has crept into the Labor Party which is extraordinary even for them.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister can you just clarify, are you saying Labor would drive the economy into recession?
PRIME MINISTER: I have made this very clear on I don't know how many occasions. The economy under Labor will be weaker than it is under our Government. The economy under the Coalition will be stronger than it would be under a Labor government. That is my simple point.
JOURNALIST: Will it trigger an election… a recession rather?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I can't predict how bad things would get under Labor. I really can’t. What I do know is if you take $200 billion of higher taxes, punishing aspiration at every level, taking away the incentive of Australians to work hard and do better, that will have a sheet anchor effect on the Australian economy at a time when you can least afford it. This election is about aspiration which is what we want to encourage in Australians, and the negative forces of envy, which is what the Labor Party is relying on. We don't believe that you have to hold some people down to lift other people up. The Labor Party believe they have to tax some people harder to give other people a go. The very package that I have announced today with my colleagues has been announced without increasing taxes. There is no need to increase taxes to do what I have said today. This is a core function of Government and we will do it on that basis. Just as 2,000 extra medicines on the PBS is the core function of Government, just as record funding in hospitals and schools and record bulk billing under Medicare. All achieved without increasing taxes and we don't intend to increase taxes as we've laid out and as you will see in the Budget.
JOURNALIST: On the tax divide between yourself and Labor, the $200 billion you talked about this morning…
PRIME MINISTER: Which Labor's never disputed by the way, because it may be an underestimation, David. I may have got it too low, I may have low-balled them.
JOURNALIST: One area where there is that divide is on personal income tax cuts. You are going to the election at the moment with a tax offset worth $530, Labor is going to the election with a tax offset for millions of workers worth $928, so isn't that on the Labor side better for the economy and better for those workers and why don't you match it?
PRIME MINISTER: Labor is going to the election with a $70 billion program, I am going to the election with a legislated $144 billion program.
JOURNALIST: Theirs is bigger, sooner.
PRIME MINISTER: Ours is structural, it deals with all areas of the tax system and it provides opportunity and rewards incentive right across the board. See, Labor wants to give and take and what I have always learnt with Labor governments is they take much more than they give because Labor can't manage money. I will tell you the reason why they have to always increase taxes to make promises, it is because they can't manage money. When you can't manage money and you can't control your expenditure, you know who gets hit in the neck? Well it’s going to be retirees at $5 billion a year and not just retirees. It’s small businesses who actually benefit from the franked dividend rebates. It is farmers who benefit from the franked dividend rebates, farmers going through drought. Let’s not forget it was the Labor Party who voted against establishing the Drought Fund in the Federal Parliament just a few weeks ago. They can't manage money. That is why they are going to tax you more.
JOURNALIST: It has been reported this week that you're going to travel to Christmas Island. What are you doing to ensure first of all that taxpayers are getting value for money in contracts to look after the asylum seekers that are stay there according to what you are saying? And also, what do you say to what will be inevitable criticism that you're just going to somewhere for a photo-op on taxpayers' expense?
PRIME MINISTER: It is incredibly regrettable that we have to reopen Christmas Island. I had no plans or intentions to reopen Christmas Island. I'm the Prime Minister who shut it. Not only that detention centre but under our Government we closed 19. Labor opened 17. So I regret greatly that the advice of the Department of Home Affairs is that we would have to reopen Christmas Island in response to Labor's Medivac Bill which basically undermines and ends offshore processing as we know it today. That was the recommended response by the Department of Home Affairs and we are implementing their recommendations. We will be making sure that the arrangements are in place, as indeed they are as I understand of this, to stand up that facility up to deal with any transfers that may arise. That is the appropriate response. That is the recommended response of our security agencies and our Department of Home Affairs and we are acting on that. If the Labor Party didn't support that bill, then we wouldn't have to reopen it. It is that simple. The Labor Party have undermined border protection in this country, wilfully ignored the advice of security agencies. And you know what? I still don't know who their minister will be. They have a long list of people they want to sack, but they haven't told us who they will actually appoint to control our borders? Who is it? I don’t know, maybe you guys can share it with me. I don't know who their Minister for Home Affairs is if they're elected to Government. No idea.
JOURNALIST: Julian Burnside...
PRIME MINISTER: No it won't be Julian Burnside.
[Laughter]
I can assure you of that. Not even they would be that crazy.
JOURNALIST: Does Julian Burnside pose any issues for the Treasurer?
PRIME MINISTER: No. He makes a lot of noise. But I’ll tell you what, Julian Burnside won't be able to prevent retirees getting taxed $5 billion a year. A vote for Julian Burnside won't be able to do that. He won't be able to stop Labor's tax attack on the electors of Kooyong. He won’t be able to stop that. There is only one person who can stop that and that is the Treasurer. He is not only going to stop it for the electors of Kooyong, he will stop it for the entire country.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just back on respect for women. Karen Andrews said today that she was talking about female representation inside the Liberal Party. I know you have the 50 per cent unenforceable target for 2025. She was suggesting that perhaps you should settle on a 30 per cent target as a first step. What is your view on that and perhaps I could also ask Kelly O'Dwyer?
PRIME MINISTER: I am just getting on with it.
JOURNALIST: No, getting on with it is just rhetoric…
PRIME MINISTER: No it’s not actually, this is what getting on with it looks like. 19 female members of the Party selected in either Senate or House seats since I became Prime Minister. A record number of women now sitting in my cabinet, the highest of all time. They are actually firm results.
JOURNALIST: One of whom is leaving at the next election.
PRIME MINISTER: And will be replaced at least by one woman if I'm elected at the next election and returned to Government. I was also very pleased, I'm sure everyone at the ABC, including yourself, was pleased to hear that I was able to appoint, with a captain's pick, only the second woman ever to chair the ABC…
JOURNALIST: Your fellow cabinet minister, Karen Andrews is saying 30 per cent.
PRIME MINISTER: If you would like a one on one, you could always issue an invitation. But my point is this. We're just getting on with it. I think people have a clear steer for me about where I place these issues. I have been moving very quickly on these issues since becoming Prime Minister and the results speak for themselves. The results actually do. Others can look at that record but so far, in just six months in the job, 19 female candidates, we have Wendy Askew coming into the Parliament as we come back and even yesterday, one of my proudest days as Prime Minister, the Nancy-Bird Walton airport in Western Sydney and to recognise one of our great aviation pioneers.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can I ask about Yang Hengjun, no one has talked about him now for weeks. He has been in a black prison in China without charge. What can you tell us about him? Has he yet been able to see any of his lawyers or his family? Has he been given access to more consular visits?
PRIME MINISTER: He has had consular access and there is nothing more I can add to that publicly.
JOURNALIST: Has he had access to lawyers?
PRIME MINISTER: I can't anything further to that in this conversation.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, if you are saying Labor is going to be bringing in the same industrial relations policies we had during the last recession and bringing in these record tax levels. Is that not threatening they are going to trigger a recession in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: That is the point you are making.
JOURNALIST: No, isn’t that the point you were making?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: The point I was making the point that the economy will be weaker under Labor. Whether that could extend to those types of outcomes, that will be more likely under Labor than it would be under a Coalition Government. Because Labor is putting $200 billion and more of higher taxes on the Australian economy and they are bringing back an industrial relations scheme that would make Paul Keating blush. Because it goes back to pre-Paul Keating times. This goes back to the dark ages of industrial relations. When you combine that... at least at that time, the unions weren't able to use their financial muscle to go up with their industrial muscle to start trying to run the Australian economy through industry funds and through their control of a weak Prime Minister in Bill Shorten who owes everything to the union movement. He owes absolutely everything. His job, his role, his standing in life is all a function of the gift of the union movement. He owes them big time. If you want to combine old school industrial relations schemes from the Labor years with that new financial muscle of the unions coming through the industry funds, well yes, that is a very bad recipe for the Australian economy and the economy Australians live in for the next decade will be determined by the choice that is made at this next election. It only takes Labor less than three years to stuff the whole thing. That is all it took them last time. They will change it all in a heartbeat. They will set us on a very different path. We saw it on borders, we saw it on national security, we saw it on defence spending, we saw it on the deficit, we saw it on debt, we saw it on jobs, we saw it with programs that set fire to people’s roofs for goodness sakes. I mean, if I said that when I was door knocking in 2007 people would have thought I was... they needed to call the police. But all of that happened last time the Australian people picked Labor and it has taken us 12 years to get it back. 12 years. Vote Labor once, you will pay for it for a decade. Thank you very much.